Shards of Evil
by Sareth-the-lost-one
Summary: Sequel to "Death Wish". Imhotep and Evelyn thought the curse terminated...But the dark forces had created a reassurance, and now they are ready to have their revenge. Characters from the 1st part will show up again!
1. Chapter 1: An awful discovery

(No copyright infringement intended. Basic character setting for Imhotep, Evelyn and Rick O'Connel is owned by Universal Pictures)

**SHARDS OF DARKNESS**

=== 1932 / An elementary school in Cairo / schoolyard ===

The three boys, aged around 7, had surrounded one of their comrades. "You, you little creep, you don't belong here!" shouted one of the three, punching the trapped little boy. "Go away! Home to your creepy parents!"

"You're a creepy dummy yourself!" The other boy retorted angrily. He was tall for his age and his skin was light compared to the other children's of the schoolyard. "Leave me alone!"

"No, you leave! You bring bad luck, we always loose in our matches because of you!" He punched again.

The other boy stumbled backwards and raised his fists now. But still, he didn't attack. His mother had said him he should not scrap.

"Yes", another of the surrounding boys cut in. "Bad luck, that's it! My father said it, too! He said, your father is a freak who speaks with the desert demons at night!"

"That's not TRUE! You LIE!"

"It IS true, little creep! Your mother is an English infidel, walking around without veil, my grandpa says! And your father speaks with the demons! He even has a statue of some demon! Heard my uncle from the police saying, he did freaking demon-things some years ago at the museum! So go away, we don't want to have anything to do with you!"

"My father is no freak! And he does not call the demons! You take it back!" With that, the little boy jumped against his opponent and both landed on the ground. "TAKE IT BACK!"

....

=== At home ===

Ani Al-Busiri walked home alone, clothes scattered and dirty from the fight on the schoolyard. At least, his nose had stopped bleeding and he discovered while looking in a puddle on the street, that his left eye did not look as bad as it seemed back then at school. Now he tried to put some order in his appearance, in the hope his mother would not notice what had been going on. He didn't want her to worry about him as if he was a toddler! Nonetheless, he had only passed the door of his home, as he was caught by his mother.

"Ani!" she cried. "My little boy, what have you been in?"

"Aw... nothing, Ma..." He replied, slightly in discomfort as she hugged him. He was grown up, he could handle such things!

"Nothing? I bought the jacket only last week... my God, a wonder that you have no bruises!"

"I'm just smarter then them, Ma!" He grinned proudly.

"I asked you not to fight with the other children!" She looked so pale. Ani thought it had to be because of his new brother (he hoped it would be a brother) growing in her. He really did not want her to be sad or worried!

"I did not start it, believe me", he said. "I only fought back, because one of these dummies called dad a demon-whisperer and such things!"

His mother sighed and closed her arms around the little boy again. So he did not see the tears in her eyes.

...

"We have to move to some other place, Evelyn!" Imhotep was standing at the window, looking out into the still busy night of the Cairouan suburb. "This city... is not good! There are too many rumours around about us, about... me. It's the umpteenth time Ani came home like this!"

"We can't move. You know it." She sounded very exhausted, having pondered about the same things the whole day since Ani had showed up. There was much hostility towards her and her family, it was true. It had not been that way in the first years. But as the economic situation grew more and more difficult for the inhabitants of Cairo, they were more and more on the edge and fanatic against everything 'alien' to them. And her family was an all too perfect victim... However...

"We can't move", Evie repeated. "I have my work here at the Library. And the director finally agreed to give me a pay raise! I don't want to beg Jonathan again for money. I know he would give it, but ..." She bit her lip to restrain herself from adding that Imhotep's off-and-on-work as translator for some old Egyptian texts did not make much money. Nonetheless he grasped it as if she had cried it out loud. He turned around frustrated, watched her in silence for some moments. He would have liked to give his family a decent living - however, he was far from being able to do so... He had been an important and rich man in the past, now he was, honestly spoken, barely more than a beggar... Curse it! He did not want to long for the old times! Determination shone through his dark eyes and a hard line formed around his mouth. "I will work with my hands! I'm still young enough to do hard work, out on the fields or whatsoever! We have to leave this place! I don't want our second child to be born here! I simply don't want it!"

"And I..." Evelyn stepped over to him and took his hands. "...don't want you to do such work! You have so much knowledge, intelligence... you deserves so much better! We... we can look for another school for Ani."

"It will not stop there, you know it! Rumours and hostility are travelling fast! It will get worse."

Evelyn sighed again, not knowing what she could answer, because it was the truth. "Let us at least wait till the baby is born. I would be not of much help right now."

Imhotep nodded slowly and embraced her. "We wait till the next flooding season, then."

Nevertheless, destiny was not that kind to give them time…

=== Some Weeks later / Cairo ===

Imhotep and his little family were on their way back from a Sunday morning walk in the park. Ani was excited, because they wanted to pay Achmad's family a visit – and Achmad could tell wonderful stories! Just as good as his Ma! Moreover, he knew of Osiris and the ancient gods, as his father did! Surely, the other kids at school would call him a demon-whisperer, too… these dummies!

A sudden noise erupted, people shouted and then shots sounded through the streets. Evelyn reached out to grab Ani, but the boy had escaped shortly before to admire one of the huge automobiles on the other side of the road. She called his name, but the tumult made it impossible for the child to hear her.

Shots again! A man in brown garb sprinted around the corner, yelling and pointing his gun backwards. From there other angry gunfire bellowed, but missed him. Now Ani had seized the situation and tried to hide behind the car. Evelyn called again, in vain.

"It's no use. I go and get him!" decided Imhotep and was already on his way.

The fugitive in the brown robe looked around frantically and shot again. One of his pursuers fell. People cried. The diaphone of a police car sounded from somewhere now. Perhaps it had been a robbery…

Imhotep lunged behind another parking car, calling for his son. Ani was cowering next to the rear wheel of 'his' automobile, only some meters from his father. He was right between the two fighting parties and tried to slip down under the belly of the car to get cover. However, just in the same moment, the brown-clad man jumped to exactly this car, obviously his getaway!

"Ani! Back! Go BACK!" Imhotep was on his feet simultaneously to pull the boy out without further hesitation. The sudden movement at his side made the fugitive turn around and shoot again, this time wildly aiming at Imhotep, who dove down onto the asphalt. His enemy missed. Though, Ani had only seen his father fall.

"Dad!" He cried, leaving his place.

Then everything happened in the blink of an eye: Ani running; another shot from the weapon of the nervous fugitive while he tried to get in his car; Ani jumping – and the bullet hit him. Imhotep cried horrified, and Evelyn the same, as their child tumbled lifeless to the ground. For an instant, the exhaust gases from the finally starting car of the fugitive clouded his vision. Then Imhotep was beside his little boy. A rapidly widening bloodstain tinted his jacket and the shirt beneath it.

He felt like dying. "Ani? Ani… do you hear me?" He ripped the shirt apart – and froze. He did not feel like dying anymore, he felt far worse…. Like torn apart from the unearthly pains of the Hom-Dai again. They pierced his soul, his heart, his body… He gasped for air.

Memories flashed through his mind. Memories from the final battle against the Dark Ones in the Great Pyramid 7 years ago… As he thought to die, burned and wounded… As Osiris spoke to him… 'Not you… but the curse has left an imprint… An imprint…'

_This can't be… O no…NO!_

"Dad? Dad, what's .. going on?"

Meanwhile Evelyn had reached the two of them, stroke over Anis head and wiped the tears from her face with the other shaky hand.

"Heavens, Ani… my sweet little boy! I… I thought you were hit for one moment! I really did!"

"He was hit", Imhotep murmured with a voice as dark as the grave, using the ancient Egyptian language. "The bullet went right through his chest, I saw it myself."

"But… but this is not possible! He's alive! He… he… is…" Her face fell and her eyes went wide, as she grasped what he was about to say.

"He is immortal, Evie. He has… the powers of the curse! Of MY curse!"

"Ma? Dad? What's going on? Why do you look so frightened?" Ani tried to get free from his father's firm grip. "It's only a scratch! Look! I'm fine!"

Imhotep lifted the boy up. "Let's go! Quick! I don't want any questions to answer right now…"

=== At home again ===

Ani had gone out in the garden, playing with his dog – as if nothing had happened at all. He was only sad, that he must not visit Achmad and tell him about the adventure today. His parents, however, had much greater sorrows.

"Perhaps… you were mistaken", Evelyn said. "Ani was not really hit."

"I was not." Imhotep sat on the edge of the bench near the window, face buried in his hands. "Look at his cloths! Look at it! And Ani has not even a little scratch anymore! He is as healthy as on the day he was born! Dammit!"

"But how can that be? Why should HE be punished with the curse? He is only a little boy… He does not even know what you… we… have done in the past."

Imhotep jumped to his feet. "It is my fault! My stupidity brought him this, my arrogance!" In a burst of desperate anger, he wiped the papers and other items from the table.

"What are you talking about?" Evelyn was appalled by the display of fury he showed. She had not seen him like this for so many years. "You said Osiris has freed you from the Hom-Dai, Imhotep. You have no more powers; you are a mortal man! There is no way you could have transmitted your curse to our son!"

"Gods of Egypt! Evelyn! You do not see it, don't you?! Forgive me… I did not want to shout at you…Remember, when Ani was born, and we thought, it was one month earlier than scheduled?! It was not too early! It was the exact date!" He leaned his head against the wall. The coldness of the stone did nothing to soothe the fire of pain and anger in him. He simply burned with hate for himself. "You conceived Ani not in our wedding night, but over a month earlier, during our union in the Great Pyramid, BEFORE the curse was released! I thought… thought I could not…" His voice trailed of and his fists banged against the wall. "Obviously, I could do much harm, at least! This was it, what Osiris meant, then. I had given life when I was bound to give nothing but death… HE already knew what had happened! Seeing their cause with me in danger, the Dark Ones looked ahead in creating a reassurance! With my gladly given help…"

Evelyn put her hands on Imhotep's shoulders and leaned against him. He felt her tears through the fabric of his short, and it made him only madder about his actions seven years ago.

"Ani is doomed, Evelyn… Because of me… I was not allowed to touch you at this time! And yet I did it in my arrogance and desire!"

"Don't blame you. If this was a fault, it was mine as well…I thought I would loose you all too soon. I wanted you as much as you wanted me this night."

Happy laughter and barking sounded from the garden. Ani had no idea which powers slumbered in him.


	2. Chapter 2: The bracelet

**=== Cairo / Imhotep's and Evelyn's home ===**

Imhotep still stood there, face turned to the wall and head leaned against the stone. His emotions were still on the edge, full of desperation. Right now, he was just too tired for further outbursts. Evelyn sat on the bed, exhausted and terrified the same. "Do you… really think, Ani has the full powers of the Hom-Dai? Besides the immortality?" she asked.

"Yes I do. We should not fool ourselves. The one is not without the other. I was made immortal so I could not escape my punishment via death. I got these evil powers so I could not live a normal life either. When will this ever end? When can we finally live in peace?"

He turned around towards the small statue of Osiris at the other side of the room, and he could not help but to mutter sarcastically: "I am free to live, am I? What a grace… Now I can watch my son be killed by the Medjai!"

"Don't say this, Imhotep! No one knows about Ani and his powers. He has no cause to explore or use them!"

"But when he does so… "

"Can't you annihilate the curse, with Achmad's help perhaps? We have freed you, why not Ani?"

He shook his head. "The scarab pectoral is melted, and the temple of the Keepers in the Pyramid is destroyed, the inscriptions lost. What should I do? I am HELPLESS!" he cried, again punching his fist against the wall.

This was the moment, when Ani showed up in the door.

"What's with dad?"

"Dad is not… feeling very well." Evelyn stood up and took the boy outside. "Go down into the kitchen, will you? Take some of the cookies…"

**=== Foreign Legionnaires' Camp in Libya near the Egyptian Border ===**

It was evening. Flies surrounded the lamp in the tent. The men lay on their camp beds, browsing old journals and smoking. In one corner, an agitated voice could be heard, though.

"Eh, Rick, look what I've found!" The man, to whom the voice belonged, was short and agile, with fierce black eyes. Some in the camp said he had been a thief – he always said he was an Italian nobleman. What did it matter? "Look! This is pure gold! And ancient! With hieroglyphs! Eh, you aren't interested in any way…"

"Nope."

"What's wrong with you, pal? There could be treasures outside, making us rich!"

"If I were you, I would throw the thing away as far as I can."

"Why? You are crazy, man! Might be something BIG under the sand outside the camp! We will be rich, having our yacht, fine Cuban cigars and lots of women! We just have to dig a bit, perhaps!"

Rick O'Connel regarded his comrade as if he had demanded of him to clear the latrines. "I had my share of digs and treasures, believe me! Have no interest in the stuff, whatsoever!" He let his head fall back on the small pillow. "Last time cost me my wife!"

Other men had known better than to bother Rick further. However, his Italian comrade was far too excited now. "Wife? Did not know you were married, eh?!"

"I wasn't. That's the POINT! She ran off with… with some egomaniac idiot, we met back there in Egypt. And now SHUT UP!"

"Ok, Ok, Ok…" The Italian raised his hands in a defensive manner. "I'll go. I'm sort of gone already… Just… Tell me, only, what this sign stands for, please. Won't annoy you again, I promise. I heard you might know about hieroglyphs…"

Sighing, Rick grabbed the item from his comrade's hand. It was a bracelet and seemed ancient, indeed. In the centre of it was a cartouche with a sun disk and… "That's a hippotamus."

"A… a what?!"

"A hippo. The sign-beast for the Ancient Egyptian god Seti. The god of chaos and destruction. - As I advised you, take it back, bury it, and forget it! And first of all, let me find some sleep…"

**=== A Bedouin Camp in the Egyptian Desert ===**

Gemar, leader of his small clan, had a fitful sleep. This weird dream was back again! It had been his companion since he was a child beginning to ask for the meaning of dreams. Nevertheless, he was not closer to understand these sequences than he had been back then.

…_People in strange clothing… strange attires… speaking a language not his own and yet he could understand them, understand the person in whose body he was confined in these dreams… _

_"You are NOTHING! Absolutely nothing! Do you understand that? You are no princess anymore! You are a hostage! A slave! You are dust beneath my feet!" He slapped the young woman standing in front of him. She was barely more than a girl and half-naked. She cried now. "You have to know where your place is, Ancksunamun!"_

"_Yes… my Lord…"_

_Still, he hated something in her voice. Something not as submissive as she wanted it to look like. He hit her again, blood spattered over his hand. "You have to do what you are ordered to do! You have to come to me, whenever I want it!"_

"_Yes my Lord." She wept and the tears mixed with the blood dripping from her lip._

"_You will not go into the temple of Osiris again! You can pray here!"_

"_Yes my Lord."_

"_Now go and clean up!"_

_The girl rushed out of the room. The man wiped the bloodstains from his hand and the bracelet, which showed the sinister sign of the god he worshipped so much. Seti, god of chaos, passion, but also god of bravery and power…_

With the disturbing sign of this ancient jewelry in his mind, Gemar woke up. He left his tent, looked around – everything was peaceful. The animals and the people slept. Obviously, he was the only one not finding any rest. He wondered if he would ever find out what Allah wanted to show him with these dreams! He had never met the woman he dreamt of, not even one looking slightly similar. Moreover, he had never treated a woman in such a manner. And what did this sign on the bracelet mean? It was always in the dreams…

**=== Karnak, small Arab village ===**

The glory of this ancient place was long, long gone. Rested a miserable little village half on top of the ruins. Monday. A damn, lousy Monday again! Detective Gordon Cramer slammed the door behind him (wondering how long the old cracked thing would still take it) and took a seat in his miserable office.

_I should quit,_ he thought like nearly every day, since his superior had posted him here. He had been chief of the police department in Cairo, however the political situation (and, as Cramer mused some of his reports 8 years ago) made his superiors think he would be better off in the countryside! Therefore, he sat here, trying to fight grave robbers, which laughed at him and just dug another gallery into the rock after he had sealed one. It was like hunting cockroaches…

This made him think of the similar black scarab beetles.

And this made him think of his two old friends Imhotep and Evelyn Carnahan. Ah… no, the name was 'Al Busiri' now. As odd as it seemed, Cramer almost longed for the thrill and action caused by this once undead creature… It was that boring and frustrating in his job! The window shutter gnashed in the hot desert breeze. He had someone to come and fix this thing or it would drive him mad! He filed halfhearted through the last report on his desk, his thoughts still with the Al Busiri-family. He hadn't heard from them for a while. Was their second child already born?

Gordon Cramer was all alone for some years now. His wife had left him, feeling bored in the dusty countryside! _Pah,_ he thought, _she left and I'm stuck here! Only good thing is that I can smoke now without her reprimanding me…_

**=== Two weeks later / Cairo / Imhotep's and Evelyn's home ===**

It was past midnight. Imhotep could not find any sleep, as it was the case far too often during the last two weeks. He lay as quiet as he could in order not to disturb Evelyn reclined in his arms. There had been no other incident with Ani after the shootout in the streets. Nevertheless, the whispering and the glances of the people had become more intense, Imhotep thought. He and Evie had searched books and papyri in the museum and the library, hoping to find any clue for the rescue of their son. So far, they had no luck.

The sound of shattering glass stopped his thoughts and startled Evelyn. A big hole gaped in their window, and a stone lay on the floor, wrapped in a paper. Imhotep jumped out of the bed, however as he reached the broken window no one was to be seen out there in the night. As he unfolded the stone's 'packaging', he could read 'BACK OFF YOU CREEPS'.

"What is it?" Evie sat up.

"We have to leave this city", was his only answer.

------

Tbc as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3: Dark dreams

**Dark Dreams**

**=== The desert near the Libyan – Egyptian border ===**

It had happened fast. An ambush, a short skirmish – and the two patrolling foreign legionnaires were dead. Gemar, the chief of the little band of Bedouins behind this attack looked around, and then carefully pulled the bracelet from the dead man's wrist, regarded it. It was an old piece of art, indeed, beautiful carved. It shone in the moonlight. Gemar felt a sudden unprovoked intimacy sweeping over him. He knew this bracelet, yes… He had felt compelled to ride this assault without exactly understanding why. Now he knew it! This was HIS jewellery. Strange enough, he heard himself whispering the inscriptions on it.

"…Seti, ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt, Beloved of Ra…"

From one instant to another, the dark surroundings of the rocks and the desert had given place to a golden midday sun and the impressive walls of an immense city. Gemar wiped his face, highly irritated. Did his strange dreams now also invade him while he was awake?! From the enchanting picture of the old city, an ice-cold breeze touched him, and then the vision was all gone. What rested were a dark haze and a hollow voice sounding from nowhere.

…_Don't be afraid, Seti. We do not want to give you harm. We are the friends of your son, helping him avenging your murder…_

"What is this demon-whispering?" Gemar turned around, however did not see anyone. "Go away in Allah's name, whatever you are! I have no sons and I was certainly not murdered, because I stand here!" _And I have just killed two men for this damned ancient bracelet!_

…_Ah… do not say such careless words about this jewellery, Seti. It contains a strong power. It will help you fulfil what your son has begun long ago. It will help us…All you need now is a artisan to handle the powers for you…the son of your enemy… of your assassin… of the one who has damned your soul to endless wandering through time without rest…"_

His conscience split apart again, and he found himself face to face with a frightened woman. The one he knew from his dreams already. She shivered and her eyes were wide open in shock. She stared… but not at him. Turning around, Gemar-Seti followed her gaze and saw another man standing right behind him. Tall, bald and clad in a black robe, a sword in his hand. Now, he lifted this very weapon and stroke down, a desperate fury in his eyes.

The vision vanished again and the Bedouin woke up lying on the ground. He felt as if the coldness of the other man's sword had just pierced him. Of course, there was no wound and no blood… He gasped, struggled to his feet. His men were approaching. The dark haze in front of him coalesced in lines, which finally formed hieroglyphs in the air. Like before, Gemar was able to read what they said without hesitation:

Im-Ho-Tep.

**=== A village in Central Egypt ===**

The little hotel in the village was barely worth this designation. There were only five shabby rooms upstairs with an old time worn balcony. On this sat Evelyn Al-Busiri, looking out into the night and wondering about the baby, whose movements she could feel more often these days. Would it be a boy or a girl? Not that this mattered in the end, nevertheless she was curious…

Her smile faded. No, the only important thing was that they were all safe! The baby, Ani, Imhotep! She heard moaning from inside and hurried to see after her husband and son.

…

It was dark, pitch black. He could not move. He could not see. He could not cry, as hard as he tried it, though. There was no air anymore, however his lungs desperately searched for any molecule of oxygen left. He did not want to die. It felt like his blood began to boil and his heart would explode. Screams echoed through his mind while his body was dying.

…

"Imhotep! Wake up! Wake up!"

He discovered that his body was not locked in a sarcophagus, but embraced by Evelyn's loving arms. Still, he fought for air and his heart raced.

"I am… sorry. Did I… disturb you?"

"No, I could not sleep anyway. Do not think about it! You haven't had these dreams for years…" She sat down beside him and held his hands. "I'm worried about you…"

"I'm not the one to worry about, Evelyn, my love." He inhaled the night air. "How is Ani?"

She turned her head towards the bed of their little son. The boy was calm and seemed asleep.

"He is fine."

Imhotep pushed the blanket aside and stood up. "Something is going on", he said, walking to the balcony door and looking out. "I can feel it. Something bad is coming up… I… I have to teach Ani all I know about the powers of the Hom Dai. It might be his only chance. I cannot let him go through all this as unprepared as I have been."

"You will teach him?" Evelyn repeated surprised. "But… you always said no one could control these powers; that they are just part of the curse like the breath is part of a living creature."

"Yes. Ani can learn controlling himself, though. At least, this I can teach him, and I have to do so! Otherwise, he will become a danger not only to others, but also to us, to himself, very soon! The powers may overwhelm him and destroy his little self…" His voice trailed off as he walked out on the balcony and leaned against the wooden fence. _Gods of Egypt what have I done! How should I even begin to explain Ani all these horrible things? And the Medjai… will they discover what is going on? Will they hunt after my son as they have hunted me and the family of the Keepers for centuries?... I might as well have killed Ani with my own hands… Osiris, help me…_

_---  
_

(I thought, better a little update, than no one! Tbc asap.)


	4. Chapter 4 In the desert

(Author's note: "The Mummy" sets Imhotep as Highpriest of Osiris in the temple of Karnak in Thebes. Historically exact, he would have been Highpriest of Amun, because the temple of Osiris was in Abydos, and the temple of Amun in Thebes. Moreover, Imhotep would not have known and used the denomination 'Karnak' or 'Thebes', because they are Arab and Greek language. The ancient name for Karnak was 'Ipet Isut' (means the most holy place), and the city was named 'Waset'. Just to say it for the nitpickers ;) However, I follow the settings of the movies here!)

**=== Somewhere in South Egypt / some miles before Luxor ===**

Imhotep had pondered for hours how to speak to his son. Now, Ani standing in front of him, he lost the carefully assembled words again. How he should put these things into words, after all?!

The boy waited silently and watched his father, sensing that important things were about to follow.

"Ani, you know…" Imhotep started finally, "…that we are not a …uhm…normal family?"

"Of course not!" The boy grinned. "You are MY family and therefore you are special! And Mom is from England and you are from Egypt! More special!"

"Yes. That is right. But there is… more. Your mother has told you about Ancient Egypt and the culture back then? How they made mummies?" This was one thing Imhotep could not bring himself to do so. And now he felt very, very uneasy with it.

"Yep, I know it all, Dad! I know how they prepared the dead with natron and spices and what the canopic jars are for and -"

Imhotep felt even more uneasy. "Good. That's good you know all this, Ani. You are a very intelligent boy… I'm proud of you." _Like this, I will get nowhere!_

He began anew. "Have you ever wondered why I can read and speak the ancient languages, and why your mother can do it? Why we have this little shrine with the statue of Osiris in our house? Or why the people back in Cairo called me a demon whisperer?"

"Because they are dummies, Dad! I know better!"

"You don't know everything yet, my little boy." He embraced his son and let him sit down. "But I am going to tell you now."

Ani's big grey eyes hung at his lips.

"I love you, Ani, and after your mother, you are the most precious jewel I could ever possess in my life, believe me. But I… I made a mistake before you were born… a bad mistake…"

…

Imhotep had just ended. He could not discern if his son had grasped everything of his story. Ani sat there and his head was bowed down, really uncommon for a child of his age.

_He hates me… of course he does… he has to…_

He searched for anything to say, but what soothing words he should find after telling his little son he was doomed by the fault of his father?!

Then Ani lifted his head. Tears were in his eyes. "So… I'm immortal? And… you are not? And Mom not and my little brother not? No one else? I'm going to see you all die one day, and my friends too, and I will live forever? I will be all alone one day!"

Imhotep embraced him again very tightly this time. "I try to help you, Ani. Therefore we fled from Cairo and we are here. I will try everything I can, everything possible to free you from this curse! You have to trust me! I won't let you down, never! In the name of all the Gods of Egypt I promise this, my boy!"

For a long time, they sat like this on the ground. Finally, Imhotep stood up and took Ani's hand. "Let us go for a walk in the desert. I will show you a little of the powers you carry. You must learn to control yourself to fight them. They must not overwhelm and intoxicate you."

The sun was setting. Her last golden glows caressed the sandy valley in which Imhotep sat with his son.

"Concentrate, Ani. Stretch your hand and feel the power in you. Try it. Slowly, very, very slowly and careful. You see the sand in front of you. Imagine you could lift it with your thoughts alone, with a little movement of your hand…"

"I can't, Dad." Ani turned around and looked, as if he was worried to disappoint his father.

If it only would have been that simple and he really could not do it! Imhotep knew better!

"You can. Imagine… someone is coming after us, tries to hurt you… you are afraid, you are angry…you have nothing but your powers to protect you. Imagine that, Ani. Lift your hand, feel your emotions, feel your fear… and look…"

Like a little sand devil a handful of grains had assembled and danced upwards in the sky in a graceful manner.

**=== Somewhere in the desert in Western Egypt ===**

Foreign legionnaire Captain Rick O'Connel rode on slowly through the dawn. He was on the tracks of the assassins who had ambushed and killed his friend Giulio a week ago. First, yet another legionnaire had accompanied him, but he fell ill after eating who-knows-what in some bazaar and Rick had left him in a hospital to recover. Normally, he should have reported to his commanding officer and waited until replacement would be at his side. However, regulations or not - this would have cost him delay and probably the loss of the tracks! He did not want this to happen. His friend was murdered - and he would not let the killers get away with this!

Rick checked his guns for the umpteenth time. He had this feeling, something was going on. Something not quite right. Something behind the scenes, behind the obvious… He had this feeling then, as they rode down to Hamunaptra.

Ah, dammit! He had made a pledge to himself not to think about this anymore!

Nonetheless, the sinister feeling could not be ignored. The circumstances of this ambush which took Giulio's life were abnormal. The Bedouins had only stolen this ancient bracelet.

_I told you, you damned fool, throw the thing away, I told you!_

They had not taken the weapons, the ammunition, the watches, the horses or the money of the patrolling legionnaires. Only this jewelry! Rick O'Connel knew that there was a huge market in Europe and the States for antiquities. Ancient Egypt was particularly en vogue, after Carter's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Treasure hunters ploughed the Egyptian desert up and down and items from grave robberies showed up everywhere from Cairo to San Francisco. In fact, this hunger of the well-to-do for old thingies made of shiny gold had been the reason why he had been on the route for Hamunaptra then…

He cursed. Again these memories!

However, was this bracelet that special that it would justify murder, he wondered while guiding his horse carefully through a rocky rift. He tried to remember the item. Hieroglyphic carvings, representations of the gods Anubis and Osiris decorated with blue stone… and yes, there was a cartouche… the name sign of a Pharao - they were the only ones who had the right to use cartouches, Rick knew that. Evie had told him once that this rope like enclosure of the name's hieroglyphs meant 'eternal life'.

He still saw the symbol of the bracelet's cartouche in his mind, but was not schooled enough to decipher it. If only Evie could be here…

If only things --

Rick's thoughts came to a sudden end, as his horse stumbled across something and arched upwards. He tried to hold on, but failed. A loud "shit" on his lips he hit the sandy ground, rolled over to avoid the hooves … and felt grabbed by strong hands belonging to a black robed man. While he struggled to get free and to reach one of his guns, another black figure peeled from the dark surroundings and bowed his head over him. To his surprise, Rick heard the stranger with the veiled face whisper: "O'Connel, YOU?"

The two Bedouins changed a look, and then the grip loosened and Rick sat up, rubbing his shoulder. "What the hell -- " Now, one of the attackers had taken the veil from his face and Rick discovered familiar features. "Ardeth! What are you doing here? Opening new hunting grounds for your men? Legionnaires are not a good prey; you should know that by now."

"We are on a hunt, but did not expect to find you here", Ardeth Bay said serene as ever and helped his friend to his feet again. His comrade went looking for Rick's horse.

"So, tell me, you and your folks just can't sit peaceful in your oasis?"

"The first sign appeared again." Ardeth was clearly in no mood for the smallest exchange of humor.

"What sign?"

"The sign of the creature! Some days ago one of the Medjai sat on his camp fire at night and suddenly a gigantic swarm of locusts arose, nearly covered him and then vanished into a cave."

"Hm…perhaps these little beasties were simply disturbed by someone and in search for a new home" Rick mused. "Our 'creature' lives a Joe-Sixpack-life in Cairo, remember?" _…and is married to my girl and probably already has a bunch of kids with her! I go mad if I think about it!_

"I know", Ardeth answered calmly. "Something is going on, though. The elders of my tribe are men full of experience and wisdom. They cannot fail in the interpretation of the signs. Therefore my brother and I are here to explore what did happen, before it is too late. And you, why are you out here in the desert again, alone?"

"Well, I'm on a hunt myself." Rick grabbed the reins of the horse, which was led to him by the other Bedouin. "Some bastards have killed a friend of mine and robbed an ancient bracelet he had found."

"A bracelet?" repeated Ardeth, and his face while saying this left no doubts that a dark hunch formed behind his front. Could it be?

**=== A hotel in the village of Luxor ===**

Imhotep, Evelyn and Ani had arrived yesterday in the little village, the miserable remains of the ancient glorious capital of Egypt with the famous temple of Karnak. For the people living here, even for the tourists, it was nothing special to see the ruins of the ancient world surrounded by poor dwellings and hills of debris and sand. It was the way the world and the time went on.

But for Imhotep it was like a home coming and the home was destroyed, burned down and pillaged. Not by a war, but by the millennia and by people who had forgotten everything that once was… Of course he had read about the changes, he had even seen photographies of modern day Karnak. These black and white pictures alone were heart wrenching enough. He had closed the book, then, and marched in the direction of other studies, cautiously avoiding too painful memories. This had not been a difficult task, as he had to learn so much, he had in fact no time to ponder over the ancient world.

Now the destiny had forced him and his family to exactly the last place he wanted to visit. But perhaps … somewhere in these pitiful ruins of the mighty temple, of HIS temple, could be a clue to Ani's salvation. Perhaps in the inscriptions… O Gods of Egypt, he had thought, catching a first glimpse of these inscriptions yesterday, what have these people done? Nearly all the colors were gone, many carvings were destroyed by force, and others covered with plaster in which the symbols of the new faith had been painted: crosses and later Arab inscriptions with the praise of Allah. He knew about it - but to see it with own eyes was a different thing.

If not in the inscriptions - Imhotep counted it as a miracle if he could find anything there by now - then perhaps in the old archives below the temple. If… they were still intact, if they were not already pillaged long ago and burned…

He would take a look around the temple tomorrow, in order to estimate the situation. Now it was night and he lay on the bed with Evie in his arms. They had made love, soft and gently, to comfort each other beyond the force of words. Evie was sleeping now, reassured, it seemed, that their love alone would overcome all obstacles and traps the demons had set in their jealousy. Even the baby in her, who had surely been sensing the agitation of his mother and had been kicking for hours yesterday, seemed calm and cozy now. Only Imhotep was still awake.

---

tbc as soon as possible - please review, thx


	5. Chapter 5: Night in the temple

**=== Luxor – village / A little hotel ===**

Imhotep had been wandering, watching and exploring the ruins of his beloved temple for days. He knew where the archives had to be – theoretically. Nevertheless, much of the buildings he was familiar with from his time, were destroyed or replaced by structures of more recent times, from the Persian or the Graeco-Roman period. He already got some suspicious looks and questions from the guardians and tourist guides. Therefore, it was clear he had to set things in motion quickly or the authorities, who were highly concerned on any kind of free style digging and robbing artefacts, would probably arrest him.

He had pretended to be a scholar, and so far, the guardians believed him because of his astonishing knowledge. But… a lot of scholars were thieves, too. Everyone was aware of that!

Speaking of knowledge…

Yesterday, Imhotep stumbled across a dispute between some of the visitors of Karnak temple and solved it by the simple explanation of how to pronounce the ancient words written in the hieroglyphs in front of them. The three men, two professors from Cambridge and another from Berlin, had stared at him, totally abashed by the audacity of a stranger to challenge their science! They did not believe Imhotep's explanation – in fact, in his beloved Bedouin gown he looked far too 'native' to know anything at all. He had left them alone, angry and sad. It was not a pleasant experience if people were mocking about him. It had happened often enough during his first years in this time; for instance as he fled from the cinema. However, these were different things! This was HIS knowledge, and these stupid blind people, obviously forsaken by the God of wisdom, did not want to know the truth, but preferred staying with their fictional tales!

And… he missed the teaching sessions in his temple. He missed his friends and pupils with their big curious eyes… He missed so much of the ancient times…

He sighed. No, he was not here to ponder about ancient times and to get nostalgic! He was here to find help for Ani!

Meanwhile, he was relatively certain to have found the site of the entrance to the archives. Late in the evening, he returned to his hotel and began preparing the digging tools.

"I will take Ani with me again", he said to Evelyn while packing.

She was not quite convinced that this was a good idea. "Don't you think he would be safer with me in the hotel at night?"

"No. I had those dreams again. He is in danger. I want him at my side, where I can help him, defend him, if necessary. I know you would probably fight like mad for our son, too, but I do not want you doing anything like this or digging through the sand right now!" He embraced her and held her gently.

Evelyn gave him a little smile, trying to cheer up the situation instead of worrying Imhotep even more. "You know, right now, I'm really not in the mood for digging – adventures. My back is aching and I'm feeling tired." Her smile grew wider hearing herself saying this. "Does not sound like me! It is about time for our new little family member to show up in the world, finally! So that I can get back my spirit of adventure!" But the nurse in the ambulance yesterday had told her, it was not time yet. Approximately two weeks she still had to wait…

"You do not feel sick, don't you?" he asked, of course worried. "Should I rather stay here or speak with a doctor?"

"No, it's fine – as fine as I can be under these conditions. I'm just… lazy. I need to sleep. Don't look at me like that, I'm fine, believe me. I would call a doctor if it were otherwise."

"You are sure, Evie? You are really sure?"

"I am. Now, go and finish your bag, before the night is over and the tourists are pouring again over the place."

**=== At night in the ruins of Karnak ===**

Imhotep and Ani had made it carefully through the barriers and the guards on night watch, mainly because the men were sitting together, playing cards. They wandered through the outer courtyard, passing the statues of Ramesses the Great – _'The Great'_, Imhotep snored in his mind. For him, this Pharaoh would always only be the one who had given him the Hom-Dai!

The moon was full and lit the whole scenario with a magical blue-white shine. Despite the pressing time, Imhotep's mind wandered back once more to the days he had spent here long ago. He had always loved the nights in their quiet solemnity, after the long busy days with often thousands of pilgrims in the temple. In the night, this place belonged to the God and his priests only. They chanted the holy rituals, in order to guarantee life would go on the next day…

The two nightly intruders stepped slowly forward in the shadows, holding their breaths as one guard walked by, playing with his new flashlight. Then they were alone again. Shortly after, they reached a half-crumbled wall. Behind it, Imhotep unpacked his tools and lit his own lamp. Ani watched his father with a serenity not fitting for his age.

Soon, Imhotep had cleaned a huge stone step from the sand and smiled. "I was right, after all. It is here!"

But there was much work ahead, as it seemed that later works in the area had partially buried the entrance to the old archive. He would never manage the dig in one night only. Meant, the place had to be secured and concealed during the day. He had thought about the possibilities and brought some wooden planks. However, would it be sufficient to hinder the sand from slipping back? And how far down reached the damage done by the later constructions?

While taking his spade, the sand suddenly swirled up in front of Imhotep, rose in an elegant wave and fell down again on the other side of the courtyard. The entrance was clear, for some meters at least, as far as he could discern.

This was not, what worried him now, though. Imhotep turned his head and regarded horrified his son. "Ani! You must not use your powers, I told you!"

"I wanted to help, Dad…." The hilarious smile vanished from the boy's face. He had never before seen his father that angry for something HE had done… "I'm sorry…"

"It is too dangerous, Ani, do you understand?" Imhotep put a hand on his son's shoulder. "For you, for us all! I taught you about the powers, so you might learn to control yourself and keep them from emerging. You must not use them on purpose!"

The boy nodded and sniffed a little, and Imhotep pulled him close to his chest for a moment.

Then he took the lamp and cautiously went down the ancient stone steps. Millennia had passed since he last took this way… what a strange sensation! How much of the old scrolls would still be intact? Some, at least? And… the right ones? _Gods of Egypt, help me!_

The air down in the old caverns smelled dusty and musty. Spiders had woven hundreds of their nets, and as Imhotep waved the lamp around, he barely could see anything. A part of the horizontal entrance way was barred with fallen stone and other debris, but the space was wide enough for him and Ani to get through. And behind – the way seemed free!

They walked further, Ani resting repeatedly, admiring the still colourful paintings on the walls. Without doubt, he had inherited Evie's curiosity in this matter!

_Evie… is she __okay?_

"Dad! This looks just like you!" The boy said, pointing at one scene above his head.

"It is not me, but my predecessor", Imhotep answered. "High Priest Senenmut. He let built this new archive. – Come on, we have not much time, I'm sorry!"

"But you wore such a leopard skin, too?"

"Yes I did, on certain occasions… - there we are!"

They had arrived in the first of a row of large rooms, full of storage chests and boards, now all covered with a thick layer of sand and dust. Everything seemed grey in the lamp light. Ani stared with open mouth, before running forward to grab something what had caught his interest.

"Wait! Don't touch anything!" Imhotep took the hand of his son. "It is all very fragile by now. And some of the scrolls are eventually protected with poison. Even if I do not think so in this room already… but we have to be very careful!"

They left the first libraries behind and walked deeper into the ancient archive. Imhotep remembered how this place had been shown to him for the first time, and how often he had wished to show this his own son someday… Of course not 3000 years later!

A sudden noise made him turn back. It did not rest the only one. Footsteps! Voices!

Imhotep looked around, a purely instinctive reaction. There was no second entrance; whoever was on their tracks had trapped them!

_Did the guards find out and followed us_, Imhotep wondered and pushed his son in a little more safety behind his back. Already the light of some lamps and torches danced over the walls in the first rooms, it was no use to blow out his own lamp. Any attempt to hide would have been futile: the dusty floor would have recorded every step! Therefore, he simply rested upright and mentally prepared to fight or run. In the ancient days, he was well trained in combat with and without weapons, because he had not only been the High Priest, but also the advisor of the Pharaoh and as such his companion in campaigns. Since he knew about Ani's curse, Imhotep had trained again. He knew he could probably conquer the most of the old men hired as guards here. However he feared the damage inflicted on the archive during a fight. And once on the run after a hand to hand combat, he would never have the chance to return to the place… But getting arrested with Ani was no option either…

A moment later, all these musings ended. The men storming in were certainly not the guards, and not the local police! They were young and well armed. One of them lunged forward against Imhotep, tried to grab Ani's arm. The boy fled backwards, while his father blocked the advance of the attacker. Doing this, he saw the bracelet on the man's wrist.

The bracelet…

There was no time to think. The enemies charged, and Imhotep had all hands full to fight. He could not see where Ani was, he only hoped he would escape, because obviously these men were after HIM! One of the old boards crashed and the old papyri in it resolved into dust. Imhotep grasped one of the attackers and pushed him against the next wall.

"What do you want, you bastard?!"

No answer, at least from this guy. But another had seized the opportunity and attacked from behind. Imhotep felt something cold and burning in his side. His grip around the neck of his adversary lightened and a blow let him stumble backwards and fall.

Ani screamed, and nearly in the same second another sound filled the air. A sound Imhotep knew very well: scarabs. Cursed, flesh-eating scarabs!

"Ani! Stop it! STOP IT!" he cried, seeing the black armoured bugs swarming out from nowhere around the legs of the attackers. Two of the men backed of, hurling and yelling, others tried to stomp on the tiny animals.

"ANI! STOP IT!"

Imhotep felt himself pulled back and a blade pressed against his throat.

"You stop, you little creep!" said a voice near his ear. "You stop at once or your beloved father is there where he belongs – in the realm of the dead!"


	6. Chapter 6: Kidnapped

**=== Luxor ===**

Imhotep awoke and after a short instant of dizziness, he remembered again, what had happened. Here, in the old archives of his temple at Karnak…

The intruders had kidnapped Ani! He still saw the moment, when one of the men lifted the boy up and vanished through the intrance; then something hit his head and knocked him out. It was not yet morning, Imhotep noticed while standing up and making his way to the ancient steps. But he could not determine the passed time from down here. He had to take a look at the stars.

The intruders had taken Ani! His little precious son! With every breath he took this realisation grew more hurting and poisoning. They had taken him, and he had been absolutely helpless! He had promised Ani to protect him always, and what had he done? Nothing really useful! NOTHING! He had failed! The pain of this truth was stronger than everything else. Imhotep did not waste a single thought on the knife wound in his side. For the first time in all the past years he wished his powers back; wished back his ability to catch the kidnappers and take revenge, preferably by inflicting a nasty death on them! But… he was powerless, and helpless, a simple mortal…

Arriving again in the dark courtyard of the nightly Karnak temple, he decided he could not leave the place behind like this, even if it would cost him precious time. However, if this last treasure of the old knowledge would be lost – sequestrated by researches or plundered by thieves – any hope of freeing his son from the curse would be lost, too. He had to protect the entrance and conceal it as originally planned! Putting all his frustration and desperation into this duty, he worked until daylight adjusting the wooden planks over the entrance and shovelling the sand back. It was not until now, seeing the blood stains on the ground, that Imhotep paid attention to his injury. To shred his dusty, dirty clothes and make some kind of bandage would surely only make things worse. His single option was going back to the hotel and sending Evie to a pharmacy so she could get at least something for desinfection. It was one of the blessings of the modern times, he thought, to have such possibilities. A lot of people had died in his era, even after the most extensive care…

But he could barely reach the outer courtyard. In range of sight of a guardian on his patrol, Imhotep passed out.

**=== Somewhere nearby in the desert ===**

Ani struggled against the restraints holding him, but without his supernatural powers he was just a boy and ropes and leatherbands could be very strong! And this man sitting now in front of him and staring at him had told him, if he tried to use his powers again, his father would die…Had he been older, Ani would perhaps have calculated that none of his kidnappers had stayed behind and thus no one could kill his father if he disobeyed. But Ani was seven years old. His father had warned him to use his powers, too; he had said it was a cursed and very bad thing he must not do. Therefore, he would not, as long as he was able to decide it…

These men had taken him outside the village into the desert. They had rode on for hours. Now it was day, and Ani was very tired, hungry and frightened. Nonetheless, he did not want to cry, for he was a grown-up boy and a proud one! His lips pressed together he shot a look as dark as he could manage at his kidnapper.

Gemar watched the boy, absently stroking over the ancient bracelet decorating his right arm. The Bedouin leader could only partly believe what had happened last night, what HE had done! He and his men had invaded the old demon - temple near Luxor, and there they had kidnapped this little boy! Why, in Allah's name?!

Then, some hours ago, Gemar had been certain what to do, as if he acted on a clearly defined order. There had been no doubts; he had to take this boy by all means! Why?! What was going on, what happened to him, what was it with this damned old bracelet? He stared in the eyes of the boy and suddenly…

… _there was not this child in front of him anymore, but another one. Older, about fourteen, perhaps. However, it were the same eyes regarding him, dark and intense. The teenage boy, wearing a white skirt and a leopard skin over his shoulder, stood in the courtyard of a temple with huge columns and brightly decorated walls. The fragrance of incense was all over the place and chanting sounded from inside. _

_He stretched his arm, on which he recognized the bracelet again, towards the boy. He was speaking in the ancient tongue, but he could understand every word: "Now, that you are the heir of your father and High Priest of Osiris, Imhotep, YOU are my closest friend, advisor and intercessor by the gods to assure the wellbeing of the kingdoms."_

"_I will, my Pharaoh, I will", the boy answered. "I promise, I'll never betray you."_

…"_But he did!" _ A multitude of other voices filled the air all of a sudden and the scenery of the temple and the boy in priestly garment vanished. Hazy darkness surrounded Gemar, the same he already had experienced when he first took this bracelet from the murdered foreign legionnaire. The voices hissed from this darkness. _"Imhotep did betray you. He assassinated you, together with your unfaithful mistress Ancksunamun! Now it is time to take revenge, Seti! Time to get back what is yours! Time to fulfill the deeds of your son!"_

"Leave me alone!" Gemar shouted. "Whatever you are, in Allah's name! Leave me!"

He tried to get rid of the bracelet once more, but could not.

…"Seti, don't be afraid, listen! Listen to us! We are your friends… your protectors… your intercessors! We are, what this traitor did not fulfill! Listen… you will finish your rule, which HE untimely ended. And you will gain entrance to the glorious afterlife, finally, after all those centuries your soul spent in restles wandering! You will find peace…Just listen to us!"…

"I don't want to! Demon-folk! I am a faithful servant of Allah!"

…"You are Pharaoh Seti I.! You are rightful ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt! Commander of armies feared by the rest of the world! And you will have those armies again!"… The voices became more seductive and sweet. …" This boy, the breed of your enemy, the traitor Imhotep, has the powers to summon the dark armies of the underworld! The power to bring to life what was dust! To bring us back! … Listen, Seti… this boy is your salvation… you must learn how to control him…"

"What?" Gemar gasped. He had the feeling, as if this dark haze took away his air. He wanted this to end, but in the same moment was eager to learn more, like a child knowing it was doing forbidden things.

…"The bracelet… use the bracelet…The power of the God Seth your protector is within it. Seth, Osiris' brother and enemy!"

The voices faded and the Bedouin once again looked at his captive.

**=== Luxor / Police Station ===**

Police inspector Gordon Cramer sighed and wiped his sweat away. It was midday and the heat immense. The more after the events reported to him this morning and with the man sitting now on the chair in front of him… Cramer had been bored, yes. He had been looking forward to any kind of change in this miserable daily village routine. Had he been too imprudent? Obviously.

Because in front of him sat Imhotep Al-Busiri, injured, under suspicion of antiquities theft, and on top of all not willing to cooperate even in the smallest way. The police inspector had wondered how his friends from 8 years ago were – but he had not wanted himself in that kind of trouble again!

The jalousie squeaked and flies hummed unnerving. Cramer rolled his eyes. What in hell had he done in his life to end up in this place?!

"Imhotep", he started anew. "We know each other. Remember, I was the one managing you a new identity. You can be sure; I will do whatever I can to help you and your family, if you are in trouble! But I need a little more information than 'I was on a walk through the ruins'! Normally, you don't get a knife into your side by simply walking around and visiting old places! So, please, tell me what this is all about!"

"I already told you, I did not steal anything. I don't know what happened. But I HAVE to go now, please! I am sure, unpleasent things will happen very soon! I have to take care of it!"

Inspector Cramer made a face. "Locusts, storms and hail are out of question, or am I mistaken? … Well, never mind! The fact is, I cannot let you walk out of here! The antiquities department charges you with theft; you are injured and not quite able to stand on your own feet right now."

"I am fine!" To prove the police inspector wrong, Imhotep rose. "And I really NEED to go! Please let me go, Gordon. Evelyn will be worried about me!"

Cramer gave up. Arguing with this man was like arguing with stone statues! "You are under my custody from now on", he said. "I will take you home. And when we are there, you tell me what's going on this time."

Imhotep hesitated, but finally nodded his agreement.

**=== At the hotel in Luxor ===**

Of course Evelyn was worried. She had not found sleep and was up again very early to wait for Imhotep and Ani. However, the hours had passed and none of them had reappeared. Meanwhile she was certain something had gone horribly wrong. She had dressed and was ready to pay the police station a visit, when someone knocked at the door of her room.

A moment later, she saw in the faces of Inspector Cramer and her husband. But her joy faded, as she discovered how pale Imhotep looked and that Cramer had put his arm around his waist to sustain him.

"Oh my god… what has happened?"

"Don't worry, I'm alright again." Imhotep walked into the room and sat down on the bed, feeling considerable relief that he had managed the way. "They have taken Ani!"

Gordon Cramer had closed the door and exchanged a look with the couple. This was it, then! Their little son had been kidnapped! "We will find Ani", the Inspector said and put a reassuring hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "I inform the police stations of the area, and then –"

"No!" Imhotep cut in, and would have jumped up, if not for his weakness. "Whoever they are, when they get word that the police are on their heels, it will provoke them! I don't know who they are, but one of them wore the bracelet of Seti! And I am sure, they knew about Ani's powers, even before he demonstrated them…"

Powers? Gordon Cramer began to feel uncomfortable. Did Imhotep mean what he thought he meant?! THESE powers? Crames knowledge of human nature deleted every doubt in this matter. He only had to look at the parents of the boy… He shoved every musing about how this had been possible in the back of his mind and tried to concentrate on the facts.

However, quarreling voices sounding from the street below disturbed him. He went over and peered through the jalousies. Down there some black clad Bedouines seemed to have a little problem with another man and his oxen carriage. No, not any Bedouines!

"The Medjai…" whispered Evie, who was stepped at his side. Then, to Cramer's surprise and Imhotep's as well, a little smile spread across her face. "I think I know how we can find Ani the quickest!"


	7. Chapter 7: Frictions

_"I will summon thee  
Forces of Darkness and ancient might  
I´ll bring you forth, into eternal impure night"_

(Havayoth, "Mirrors")

…

**=== At the hotel in Luxor village ===**

Evelyn turned towards Imhotep. "I will ask the Medjai for help. They are specialized in finding the signs produced by the curse. If anyone can track Ani, they do. You know our son can control his powers no more than you did."

The Medjai – help?! It was something like expecting the light of day from the deepest darkest night! These warriors had been Imhotep's enemies in his old life, his enemies during his long torment buried under the sands of Hamunaptra. They had destroyed him and his love twice and moreover glorified in doing so. The Medjai had never asked why, never tried to understand – they had obeyed, blindly and devote. They had hunted and killed every one of his followers who attempted to free him over the centuries. And now… Evie thought these fanatics would help them. Help the one who carried the curse now instead of killing him.

He knew what this had cost her, and for that swallowed his own outburst. If she could trust the Medjai, he could the same! Their eyes met and Imhotep gave his silent agreement.

Then, Evelyn went to the door and hurried down.

….

Rick O'Connell could not believe what he saw, and less what he heard. He had been in a store to buy something to eat, and when he returned to his travelling companions, Ardeth had confronted him with the news: Evelyn had come to greet them and to beg for help.

Knowing from far that Evelyn and Imhotep were married was one thing; it was something like an article in the dictionnary about ball lightnings… It was there, but it was on the marge of reality and experience, and as such easily dismissed. Now Rick stood in this hotel room, together with Imhotep and Evelyn and Inspector Cramer. Ardeth was still down with the other Medjai to find a place for the horses.

Beg for help.

This thought alone made Rick crazy. Of course, he would do everything to help her; he would march alone against a bunch of enemies, he would steal the English crown jewels! However, that she had to BEG for help, that she was in this miserable hotel, in this miserable village, nearly a homeless…! Was it that exactly what her desired union with this damned creature (he would always be only 'the creature' for him; he refused to see it otherwise) had brought her?! His precious, aristocratic lady – reduced to a mere beggar because of a man who had no right to be at her side, not even a right to be in this world and time?! Rick fumed.

And he was in absolutely no mood for reasonable talking or plan making now. He wanted a little fight – with words at least, if not with his fists! Therefore, it did not take long until the air was hot and ready for debate.

"…You just let these guys steal your son right under your nose!" Rick shouted in Imhoteps direction. "Should I tell ya, what I would've done? No one would've taken MY son that way! But without your powers, you are only a whincing little rabbit running for cover!"

"Rick, please –" Evelyn cut in, but he did not hear her. This had waited far too long to come out!

"Look at you!" O'Connel took position at arm's length from Imhotep, who, until now, had made a stony face. But more because of his condition than his conviction for peaceful settlement. "Look at you, look at her! You've made a homeless fugitive out of her! You gave her sorrow and tears, and now you drag her on into the desert, while she is pregnant and should be in a cool and calm home! You'r a god-damned –"

"Don't speak about damnation." Imhotep arose to his feet and now looked from his full height down on Rick. "You ignorant fool." His voice was still calm, nonetheless seething with contempt. "You know nothing about that and about the world's depth!"

The more flaming was O'Connel. "O – me? An ignorant? Fine! So you are able to write your name now? I'm delighted to hear that!"

Inspector Cramer's hand fell on Rick's arm. "Calm down, this gets us nowhere. We are all here to work out a plan –"

"Yeah! A plan to rescue the world after this guy has screwed it up again! One of my friends is dead, killed because of a damned ancient bracelet! I'm sure, Mr. wise-and-mighty High Priest knows more about it!" Rick pushed Gordon Cramer back and grabbed Imhotep instead. "Do you?!"

"Leave me alone. I have forgotten none of the things you have done to me!" Imhotep's eyes were hard and cold; Evelyn hadn't seen him like this since he was mortal again.

"Me either!" replied Rick. "You murdered four people in cold blood! You tried to kill us all, and you tried to kill the woman I love and you would've done it! I don't know what's goin' on in your creepy mind, I don't know how you've turned Evie around, but-"

"You will stop at ONCE! Both of you!" Evelyn had walked in between. "And stop acting as if I was not here!"

Imhotep backed off and sat down again, only for his wife. _The woman I loved_, he repeated O'Connell's words in his thoughts, scowling at the opponent. _What do you know about love?! She has died for me, and I died for her; I endured 3000 years of torment for our love! How could you even DARE to say you loved her?! _

His dark and a little jealous musings were interrupted when Ardeth came back. The Medjai leader did not get his temper out of control, but he felt not comfortable with the perspective to help Imhotep. It was as if he had just found proof for his ancient philosophy; that a bad thing never could turn into a good one without engender another evil. Eight years ago, he had considered the task of the Medjai done. Today he wished once again that his men would have succeeded in destroying the creature instead of allowing it to become 'human'. Now the danger for mankind was as imminent as it had been all those centuries during the endless guarding of Hamunaptra and its cursed evil! Ardeth blamed himself for not seeing further, for not choosing wiser. Now perhaps many of his tribe as well had to pay for this gullibility!

"Your son has the full powers of the Hom Dai?" he asked, sensing involuntary running a chill down his back, and wondering, if he and the other Medjai just went into a long prepared trap of the ancient High Priest… finally…

"Yes. The immortality and the powers, even if he is probably not aware of their real extent and strength", Imhotep answered. "I tried to teach him, but I had not much time, and he is… only… a child."

For a moment, there was silence. But Ardeth's face displayed an unspoken 'If it must be done, this seed of evil must die'. Had Evie's trust in the Medjai's help been mislead? Imhotep braced himself for the worst and continued: "The instant I was freed from the curse, Osiris spoke to me. He said that the Dark Ones had created a way to sneak in again in the mortal's world. I did not suspect it could be my son. However, the men who kidnapped him knew it for sure! This is what worries me most."

"Yeah, really? Imagine that…" Rick muttered.

"It is not only about Ani's powers, you understand?" Imhotep ignored O'Connell and watched Ardeth instead, silently adding '_understand this time?' _"The Dark Ones are the danger! They will use Ani to their will, as they did with me. Whoever has kidnapped him, either is a tool of them, or tries to use the dark forces himself."

"As long as it is possible to blow his light out, it doesn't matter a dime to me!" Rick was more than content to direct his anger on someone. "And what's with this damned bracelet? It has to be important, because my comrade had to die for it!"

Evelyn looked at him, contemplating the words. "The bracelet has to be … it has to be some sort of magical tool… or a key, similar to the scarab pectoral you used to seal the gate of the underworld in the pyramid, Imhotep."

Imhotep had the feeling as if he was missing something important. Evelyn was right. It had to be a key… but it had to be something else, too. He had only seen the jewellery very short, and moreover during the fight in the archive. And of course, in the ancient times, on the wrist of Pharaoh Seti. But it had been only one of his precious pieces; he had not given it special attendance. "If I only could remember the main inscription…" he said thoughtfully.

Evelyn tried it the same, but did not succeed. One has no time to admire the jewellery of the hand that beats…

Rick cleared his throat. "I could… perhaps… I could try it at least. Giulio held the thing under my nose long enough. Give me a paper and a pen!"

Evelyn procured the utensils and a moment later all of them followed Rick's hand, as he drew carefully some hieroglyphs. Not historically exact may be, but recognizable.

And what he could read, took Imhotep's breath.

"By the glory of Amun-Ra! This is the invocation of Seth! With this bracelet and Ani's powers, the armies of Seth could be summoned! All the twilight creatures which he called forth to defeat the son of his brother Osiris!"

Ardeth frowned and Rick shook his head with a wry smile. "This is fairytale stuff! You are frightened by this superstitious nonsense? Cannot believe it, eh…"

"You still do not believe, after all, what you have seen? You are a greater fool than I thought you were."

"I was brought up in an atheist environment. – Okay, why do we not 'summon' Neptun or who the hell else from these good old gods so they can knock out this Seth-army?!" He sighed, surrendering and staring at the ceiling.

"The army of Seth? Could you explain a little more?" Inspector Cramer asked. "I'm not very familiar with these… uh… ancient … beliefs."

Imhotep sat pondering over the inscription, and so Evelyn answered: "It's similar to the biblical Cain and Abel story. Seth envied his brother Osiris and killed him viciously. But his wife Isis found his body and restored him to life with her magical powers. Later Isis' son Horus went into battle against his uncle to take revenge for the murder of his father. They fought on and on for weeks, and Seth called all the undead, all the damned creatures to help him and made the sky, the land and the water itself turn against Horus. Eventually, Seth transformed into a giant hippopotamus and tried to crush his enemy between his teeth. But Horus killed his uncle with a harpoon, which pierced the head of Seth. After he had won the battle, Horus banished the armies of darkness. It is said, he enclosed them in a giant pitcher and buried them deep in the desert."

"….and it is there, where these men will take our son", finished Imhotep. "But where is this?"

-----

(PS: the myth with Seth and Horus exists, but without those 'armies' – this is my imagination.;))


	8. Chapter 8: Mistrust

=== Some miles away from Luxor ===

Gemar watched the little boy sitting in front of him. Ani stared at the Bedouin leader and his men with all the anger an eight-year-old could muster. He did not speak, or cry or anything else more childish, he only scowled and sent his kidnapper shivers down the spine. In his mind, Gemar saw a man look at him in exactly the same way: eyes full of burning anger, reigned-in only by strength of will… The day when Pharaoh Seti met his High Priest and had been told by him, his new chosen mistress was ill. Ill after the Pharaoh had beaten her and she had fled to the temple…

Gemar winced away from the memory and from Ani. He turned around, scrutinized the faces of his men. They began to show unease. They would only follow him so far… He had promised them great reward, but they had ended up in guarding a little boy who seemed nothing special at all! Would he be able to impose his authority over them, Gemar wondered. And, suddenly: would he be able to impose his authority over himself?! So much was going on… he felt dizzy and forced to do things he had never considered before these strange dreams started. Before those weird voices spoke to him. Was he going mad? Gemar covered his face with his hands, searching the illusion of solitude.

…_Don'__t worry… Your doubts shall soon be over… _The voices invaded his thoughts again and he moaned. There was no escape from them! _… You have the boy. Very well. He will help set us free. Then we can summon your army and take control for you, Majesty! We are your humble servants…_

Gemar felt compelled to face the boy again, to speak:

"Ani, you have some extraordinary skills, you know that! Show me!" It sounded almost greedy.

No answer.

"Think of your father, kid! Do you want to make me torture him because of you?"

"My father is much stronger than you! He will knock you out, all of you!" the boy shouted now.

"I don't think so. He can't do anything to help you, little one. Only YOU can help HIM! If you use your powers! I know you can!"

"I won't! Dad said I should not do it! It is evil!"

Gemar laughed without wanting it. Someone else, something else had complete control over him in this moment. And he was not the tribe leader anymore, he saw himself standing in a huge courtyard, surrounded by warriors. His heart was filled with an ancient rage for the boy's father. "Evil? He told you that, little one? Your father is a criminal, an oathbreaker and a killer! He deserved to DIE, but now he lives!"

"You LIE! You're a bad man!" Ani struggled against the ropes, which hold him. "My dad is no criminal!"

… _More, more! Continue!... _The voices in Gemar's mind exhilarated and he could nearly see the dark shadows manifesting around him again. _…He is angry, he will show you his beautiful powers soon…_

"Your father is an outlaw, who defied the laws of men and of the Gods! All HE can teach you is evil as well!"

"Stop saying this! My dad is no criminal!" Ani's words were almost swallowed by the noise of the now raising sandstorm. All of a sudden, it was dark as night and the air filled with unearthly shrieking sounds.

=== Meanwhile / At the hotel in Luxor ===

None of the gathered could find any sleep, even if it was long past midnight already. Imhotep lay on the bed, Evelyn in his arms, and stared at the pattern the moon painted on the ceiling. "We have to get Ani back", he murmured again. "Before his kidnappers use him to their will. Before they force him to use his powers! He won't be able to control them… It would kill him… or…" He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment "…or the Medjai will kill him!"

"I trust Ardeth", Evelyn answered, caressing the face of her husband. "He will help us find Ani, and by then you will have found a possibility to lift the curse from him!"

"We cannot trust him." Imhotep turned around to look her in the eyes. "There might be a moment, where not even we can trust our son anymore, because he is that firmly in the grip of the Dark Ones; he would even destroy us! And then, Ardeth and his Medjai would destroy him! They would have to do it, they … we… have no other choice. But I can't let that happen!" He shoved her back gently and straightened up. "I won't let Cramer and the Medjai go alone after our son!" _And O'Connell_, he added silently.

"But you can't go with them. You told me the doctor said you should rest at least two days!"

"No, there is no way I let them go alone, my love. No way."

„I don't want to loose you, too!"

„You won't." Hearing something, he headed for the balcony.

In front of the small hotel, Commissioner Cramer and O'Connell stood smoking. Rick wallowed in dark thoughts. "I don't trust this… this… freak", he murmured, his gaze sweeping up to the window of Imhotep's and Evelyn's room. "He should not be here. He should be dust and rotten bones for 3000 years, dammit!"

Gordon Cramer put a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Easy, Rick. I know this is a hard thing to chew on, but you have to accept, he and Evelyn are married. They are for nearly nine years now. Soon they'll have their second child!"

"Yeah, exactly." Rick stomped the cigarette out. "This bastard gave her a monster child, which probably tries to destroy the world. And what the heck is growing inside her now? Another little freak which can bring the ten plagues of Egypt down on mankind?! This is a cheap trick, Gordon! He pretended to have lost his supernatural abilities; however, he uses Evie as vessel for his vile breed! How could we ALLOW that? I tell you, I –"

He stopped mid-sentence, head turned up to the night sky. In the south, a column of sand rose high, the shape clearly visible in the moonlight and now unfolding in front of the moon sphere.

"I don't like it", whispered Rick. "I don't like it at all…"

"You're right." Ardeth stepped at their side. "It is the sign of the Cursed One. Even the camels could feel that there is something going on. Something against nature! We have to act quickly!"

"Think I'd need some extra ammo…" O'Connell was more than glad to be in action again.

"No. we should not loose any more time. They are already on their move!" Ardeth made a gesture to the swirling sand.

"Imhotep told me, it was a group of 10 or 12 men who kidnapped his son", objected Cramer calmly and shook his head. "I don't believe a little boy can transport so many grown men through the air."

"The leader might have left them and only took my son to Pilak."

The three turned around and watched Imhotep coming from the hotel's porch.

Rick frowned. "Aw, yeah, pal? Suddenly ye know where the precious package went?!" He expected to see an evil smirk on the face of his opponent every second.

Imhotep ignored him. "I saw the sand devil from the balcony", he answered in Cramer's direction. "And I defined their destination via the constellation of the stars. The confinement of Apepi, the Evil Snake. A fitting place to summon the army of Seth! I should have thought of it earlier, but… it is been a while since I studied this section of the ancient beliefs." In fact, he had avoided it, like everything in connection with the demons of the underworld. Their torture still haunted him enough…

"Pilak?" repeated Commissioner Cramer. "Never heard of a place like this…"

"It is the ancient name for the Isle of Philae", clarified Ardeth. "There is a temple of Isis."

"Ah, yes, I remember, of course. I did not connect the site with any snake mythologies… Nonetheless, I'm no expert in this matter."

"Apepi is the primordial evil, the opponent of the almighty Ra and of every soul travelling through the underworld. He is trying to devour them and destroy them", Imhotep explained. "The armies of darkness are at his command. He lent them to Seth for his final battle against Horus."

"And as Horus won the fight, he banished the enemies where they came from…" completed Cramer. "I see. In Philae. Or near Philae."

"I doubt the entrance could be in the temple itself. Isis would not allow the malignity of Seth that near to her sanctuary", said Imhotep, still ignoring O'Connell, who rolled his eyes at this comment. "It has to be somewhere in the mountains above, or perhaps under water."

"Under water? Great idea. So we have to dive in or what?"

"For the Dark Ones there are no boundaries of the elements, neither are for one who bears the curse of the Hom-Dai. We will have to seek a solution, if we are there."

"Yes." Gordon Cramer put the discussion to an end. But when Ardeth wanted to inform his comrades to prepare the camels, he held him back. "As far as I got it, Mr. Bey, time is of an essence. I have a suggestion. There is a small airfield nearby; the responsible is indebted to me…" The Commissioner cleared his throat. "… and, well, I think he might be inclined to help us. We could reach Philae by plane in some hours."

Shortly after, they were on the road in the police station's car. Ardeth's men would follow with their camels as fast as possible, trying to catch the supposed rest of the kidnapper's gang under way.

Imhotep had observed jealously, how Rick had wrapped Evelyn in a thick, warm plaid. He hated seeing him near her. This Medjai-slave should not touch his princess! On the other hand, he had to focus on Ani's rescue! _By plane… _The imagination made Imhotep sick. He had seen these giant metal birds, and he knew – theoretically – how they functioned. No magic, only skill. But he remembered well how he himself had brought down one of these things, during his first resurrection at Hamunaptra. And now he should climb inside one of them? Fly through the air like only Gods and birds should do?! He felt his stomach turn already.

=== On the airfield ===

The place had been a quiet spot, offering sightseeing flights for very wealthy tourists. But for some months now, it had been enlarged. There were rumours of a war about to come… Commissioner Cramer went to the officer on duty and convinced him to wake his superior. Waiting outside the building, Imhotep heard them discuss and arguing in Arab and later, as the superior finally arrived, in English. Obviously, he wasn't too happy to be reminded of his debt… However, half an hour later, Cramer left the compound in company of a tall, thin and yawning man. "May I present Ron McClellan, old friend and awesome pilot?"

McClellan made a skeptical face, especially when he discovered Evelyn.

"Gordon, you are sure this is a wise idea, with a woman in …uhmmm… this condition?"

"I'm fine", she answered before Cramer could react. "You have only to fly me, Mr. McClellan, not pose as midwife." Saying this, she went towards the gangway first. Imhotep followed her with two hasty steps. He did not feel too well; the knife wound ached. But under no circumstances he would admit a weakness in front of O'Connell and the Medjai! "Let us proceed!" was all he said.

=== Near Philae in Southern Egypt ===

Ani crouched on the ground, trembling and crying against his will. He was afraid, more afraid than ever in his young life! He remembered the heavy storm, remembered how this ugly man freed him from his bonds and put a strange bracelet around his wrist – nonetheless, there had been no time for escaping his kidnappers. He was lifted in the air. All he could think had been a strange accumulation of sounds the boy had never heard before: _Pilak the Black Temple._ What was this? It FELT bad, much more than stealing fresh cookies out of the kitchen. He wanted home, wanted to his parents! He stared down on the bracelet, then looked around, struggled to his feet. Nothing familiar was here. It was still night; rocky mountains silhouetted against the sky, somewhere further the faint sound of frogs came from the river. Where was he?! A black figure was closing in out of the shadows of the rocks.

"Dad?" Ani whispered, hoping with the faith of a child his father would just reappear somehow, embrace him, and everything would be over.

It was Gemar's voice that answered: "Your father is miles away in Luxor. He can't hear you and he can't help you." He tried to touch Ani's hair, but the boy flinched away. "You will help ME now, and you'll see, you'll be back with your family very soon. Believe me, little one!"

Ani did nothing of the sort. He was determined to escape, whereto ever this might be!


	9. Chapter 9: The second prophecy

"Powerful by the love of you" (Loreena McKennit Song: "Mystic's dream")

**=== Near the Isle of Philae in Southern Egypt ===**

Driven by the voices in his head, Gemar pushed Ani forward through the rocky landscape. The entrance of the hidden temple of Apepi had to be here! He had to find it! The boy struggled furiously against the grip holding him. The more he fought, the more frantically Gemar shove him along the tiny path between the rocks.

"Move, move!" he hissed again and again, knowing the powers of this child could be dangerous to him, if fully released. When they finally reached the temple, the Dark Ones had promised that there they would be able to control these powers. But when would they arrive?! It was pitch black and nothing to see on the way. They hit the stones constantly. Once, Ani fell, tried to use the opportunity to get free and away from the man. However, before he could climb up the nearest rock, Gemar grabbed him again. The boy shouted and spit, and the Bedouin leader heard yet another sound, now: the carapaces of Black Royal Scarabs… He could not see them in the darkness, but hearing them was even more frightful. This boy got out of control… of HIS control, at least!

At this moment, Gemar stumbled across a wall, and his free hand immediately detected the smoothness of it. And then… the inscriptions. Hieroglyphs! This must be the entrance! He could feel the excitement of the dark shadows around him. Yes, it had to be! He pushed against the stone, hammered – nothing happened. There was a tiny hole. He fumbled around and in it – nothing, only sand grains on his fingers.

_Stupid idiot,_ he argued with himself. _Of course, it's sealed somehow! But I have the boy and the bracelet of Seth! The key! _ Gemar grabbed Anis arm, forced his hand with the wrist wearing the bracelet into the hole. The boy struggled and cried. "I'm stuck!"

"Open the damned gate or I KILL YOU!" Gemar yelled, no longer himself.

Ani twisted his arm, squirmed. Suddenly, the whole wall moved. Imhotep's son was free again, only to loose his ground, as the rocky path beneath them opened in a rift. Both he and Gemar tumbled down.

**=== Meanwhile / In the plane ===**

Imhotep felt very sick. He couldn't remember having felt that way ever before in his life. It had been nauseating when he was resurrected for the first time back in Hamunaptra, yes. But then, he had not possessed a stomach which could turn upside down! Now however, he had, and so he sat like frozen in his chair, eyes closed and teeth clenched. His right hand clutched his old medallion. May the mighty Osiris, Lord of the dead and the souls who could fly through the air, guard him! Suddenly, he was surrounded by blinding white light. For an instant, he thought to pass out and give this O'Connell a spectacle. He gasped for air. Then he recognized the familiar warmth and power of his God…

**=== Meanwhile / In the desert near Luxor ===**

Ardeth's Medjai had rounded up the rest of Gemar's men without greater difficulties. Now they sat on the ground, bounded, while a young Medjai guarded them. One of his comrades had just asked for details about Gemar's plans. To his surprise, the other Bedouins were not reluctant at all to answer his questions.

"Gemar was a good leader of our tribe, all those years", one man answered. "He was full of compassion when it was need for, full of wisdom in his judgement and strength on the other hand. He had weird dreams, this was all. Till the day he went out in the desert for hunting and was surprised by a sandstorm. Afterwards, he told us about voices speaking to him and promising him great things. Him and the men who would help him carry out everything. He was very determined. But because he continued to lead us well, we saw no reason to transfer the charge of chief to another…" He spoke about the raid to get the ancient bracelet out of the hands of this Foreign Legionnaire and the first doubts of the men… then the hunt for this little boy…

"To some of us it seemed Gemar looses his sane mind. And now he has left us, with the child, during the storm lately", the prisoner finished. "We meant to do no harm. We don't know, what is going on. He promised us, it would be for a just cause…. Some of us thought, he got orders from the Muslim Rebels…"

The Medjai shook his head. His patrolling comrade had just closing in and commented: "Afiz, it is the Second Prophecy, I'm sure! We should inform Ardeth!"

"The Second Prophecy? This is heretic belief!" The other man frowned. "My father always said, we should not weaken our mind with this falseness! It is a legend the Keepers gave birth to confuse us!"

"However, it makes sense now! Remember, Ardeth himself taught us to open our mind. That some things are not as we believed them to be all those centuries."

"The Second Prophecy…." The Medjai whispered again. He knew of its meaning, even if it had been forbidden to speak about it: that High Priest Imhotep had not been the only one cursed and damned in the ancient times; that the curse fell back on his victim, the murdered Pharaoh Seti, because he could not get the proper burial rights. Seti's son Ramses let kill all the priests of Osiris, all but one little boy who was never been found again. Therefore, no one was there to give his father the right spells to pass the underworld and join the God Ra! Seti's soul, the Prophecy said, was condemned to be born again in new bodies, until finally one got the right burial rites for a king of Egypt…

Obviously, the Medjai warrior thought now, the millennia had passed and Seti's soul had not been that lucky. And now it had arrived in a time, where no one even knew anymore the 'proper spells' to get him safe to the afterlife! And it looked like the soul inhabiting now the Bedouin Gemar, was about to take revenge on the man who had killed the Pharaoh 4000 years ago! The longer the Medjai thought about it, the more sinister became his musings. An ancient soul condemned to wandering was perhaps not lesser enraged and up to evil than the one locked in darkness of the Bringer of Death!

He turned to his comrade. "Write a note. We send Ardeth's falcon back to him, with the message! He has to know what awaits them! He has studied the scriptures of the Ancients, and the traditions of the Keepers, too. He will find a weapon to use. Gemar is not invulnerable as the Bringer of Death was with his powers…"

=== In the plane ===

"Imhotep? Are you alright?"

The voice catapulted him back into reality and he squinted. Evelyn had taken his hand and looked very worried. "We will touch down soon", she explained now, "…and you seemed somewhat… gone."

"I had a vision… from Osiris", he answered, still trying to adjust himself. "Ani is in great danger. The man who has kidnapped him has Seti's damned soul."

Evelyn felt a chill sweep over her body. Even after this long time, the part of her who had been Ancksunamun, remembered perfectly. The Pharaoh had been consumed by jealousy and hate not to possess her entirely, then. The slightest suspicion had been enough to outrage him further and further and finally leave her only one desperate solution. She had thought, this was over and buried. But the memories had a disturbing presence now.

"He will summon the armies of darkness and Apepi on top of them, with the help of our son", Imhotep continued. "I will have to fight Apepi; it will be the last test for me. If I defeat him, the Dark Ones will be under the power of Ra and Osiris forever. No longer able to seduce anyone. And Ani will be free from the curse."

"Fight them? How will you do that? You are not immortal anymore; you have no powers, Imhotep! You are only a man, and you are injured! Apepi is a God who knows only one purpose: to destroy in fire. He is pure hate. You-"

"I know, Evie, I know. Nonetheless, I have to do it. Osiris would not place a burden on me I could not carry. Your love will give me strength. And the thought of Ani. It is in my hands to rescue him! I placed the sign of darkness in him – I will cast it away again! I'm powerful by the love of you!"

She was about to reply something, when the voice from the cockpit shouted: "Hey, pals, it will be a rough landing. You can't see your hand in front of your face! So, brace for everything!"

The announcement made Rick O'Connell grin and Commissioner Gordon Cramer set his face. "You seem to like this kind of adventure…" he murmured in Rick's direction. "I have to admit, I'm a little too old for such things, little by little."

"I survived worse", O'Connell said with a short glance out of the window. The Nile glinted in the moonshine. To the West, the massive shadow of the Isle of Philae was discernable.


	10. Chapter 10: The heart of evil

_Fires of Hell...Evil Soldiers take my Soul  
Born to Kill...Spread their wings to the wind _

_(INQUISICION, Song "Army of Darkness")_

**The heart of evil**

**=== Near Philae in the desert ===**

The small airplane had landed roughly, but no one was hurt. Rick O'connel stood aside, feigning to be busy in checking the lamps. In reality, he observed Imhotep and Evie, who stood some meters away. With nearly childish gloating, Rick had anticipated seeing his old rival throw up after the touch down, at least. But he was been disappointed. The ancient High Priest of Osiris might look pale, but obviously was not that 'kind' to give any sign of weakness. Rick's gaze rested on Evelyn, in a mixture of gentleness and anger. He still loved her, and he still could not forgive her having chosen this 'creature' over him! Imhotep had played tricks with her innocent mind, for sure! To take revenge on Rick for the killing in Hamunaptra! O'Connell wasn't up to end Imhotep's life now; as long as the other man did not attack him! But whatever would happen in the next hours – there might be a situation where his old rival simply was out of reach for any rescue attempt. It might happen he died… And then, Rick promised himself, he would be there for Evie and care for her! He turned away when he saw Imhotep placing his hand on her belly. To care for this unborn child was something Rick could not imagine. Not right now. He sighed.

Seeing him, Gordon Cramer shook his head. "Old man, I know what you were thinking. We have no time for jealous rivalries, as far as I got the picture."

"You know what I think? Since when you do mind-reading?"

"Come on. I'm a police officer with 20 years experience in the field AND I'm your friend. What you are doing does not help. No one. So – are you ready to move on?"

Rick refused to take this other than literally and nodded.

"I had a few words with Imhotep", Cramer continued. "He asserts he could find this temple from here. He says recognizing a certain feature in the rock formation."

"He was here before? Aw, why doesn't this surprise me?!" O'Connell did not wait for an answer, but walked to the pilot instead, rifle swung over his shoulder and flashlight in the hand.

McClellan was about to ease some tension with the help of his second cigarette. Rick gladly took one, too. "Touch down wasn't that bad", McClellan said, with his right hand padding the wing of his plane. "Good old tough lady, she is! Might even be able to start again in the morning, with better light, you know."

A sharp cry sounding from the nightly sky interrupted the pilot. All eyes turned upwards to figure out the source.

"It's my falcon, Horus", Ardeth recognized. "My men must have an urgent message!" The bird landed gracefully on his wrist. The Medjai loosened the little paper folded around the falcon's leg, read and frowned.

"Bad news?" asked Gordon Cramer. With his usual wry humor he added in his thoughts: _What else can it be? We already know of __'__Armies from the Underworld__'__ and some evil snake-God trying to devour mankind! So, what else can happen?_

"What does it say?" Rick pressed, too.

"My men have captured the kidnapper's gang. And… one of my comrades is sure to have recognized the signs of the Second Prophecy in these events."

Everyone stared at Ardeth now. Before Cramer could mouth his question, the Medjai explained: "It is an old teaching, a forbidden one for the Medjai, in fact. It says, Pharaoh Seti was cursed as well, for murdering all the priests of Osiris."

"Yes, how fitting!" Imhotep hissed with narrow eyes. "I already know that the man who has stolen my son has Seti's damned soul. I got a vision from Osiris." He straightened and tried to ignore the growing pain in his side. "I don't need your help, Medjai! I will fight Apepi and his creeping toady Seti, in whatever disguise he might appear. It is said and wanted by the Gods!"

Ardeth's gaze became hard as well. The arrogance of this man obviously had persisted through the ages, immortal or not! However, it was not Ardeth's personal decision whether to help or not! He and his tribe were bound to their duty; they had pledged their life to it.

"The Medjai and me have to confront the ancient evil. It is true, we have believed a long time, it would only manifest itself in the One-who-shall-not-be-named. My forefathers rejected the Second Prophecy. However, it is not too late to learn! So, we will fight. We are trained for this task for centuries", he replied, not without pride.

_Trained to interfere with my business_, Imhotep could not help to think. His resentments against the Medjai were that old and deeply rooted; he wasn't able to put them aside after only some years of peace with them. He did not trust them and he was too proud to admit he would need any help, especially from the Medjai!

"My son's life is at stake! I don't want YOU to take care of him!"

Ardeth stayed unimpressed by this display of disgust. He looked at Evelyn, who had asked him for help in the first place, and said: "The words of the Second Prophecy state clearly, if the 'wandering soul' seeks her revenge at last, she will raise the darkness, night will fall upon earth, deeper than the night caused by the Bringer of Death. A battle will rage, and the mortal who goes alone, will die."

Imhotep sensed coldness pierce through him, and Evelyn's likewise cold hands clutched around his arm. _This could not be! Osiris could not send him to his death! _

"So… the Prophecy says you should go with him?" his wife asked, surprised and full of hope the same. Perhaps, this night was predestinated to put the enmity between Imhotep and the Medjai to an end?!

"Unfortunately, the Medjai have not the complete text of the writings. It was a Keeper's tradition, shunned by us. The only thing we know for sure is, that there is a weapon in the heart of the evil itself…"

"The heart of evil ? In the temple… Apepi's temple…" Evelyn presumed. "What kind of weapon?"

"I don't know. It could be an inscription, a magic spell. Similar to the ones from the Book of Amun-Ra, that could destroy the… Bringer of Death."

Imhotep's look was icy fire. But he did not say anything, too occupied with these new twists, and too horrified by the thought his God could betray him. Had he not served him well in the last years, as he had before his damnation with the Hom-Dai? No, no, Osiris could not betray him! This had to be a fraud, a ruse of the Medjai, and he must not fall for it! "I do not trust you", were his only words, then he turned away and marched in the direction he knew from the ancient times, without waiting for the others. Evelyn was at his side as fast as she could. "What do you think you'll do, Imhotep? You don't trust ME either?"

He gave no sign how much these words hurt him. "What will come, is far too dangerous for you, my love, and our child", he answered without looking in her eyes, knowing this would break his determination. "I want you to stay here, with McClellan."

"I should let you go alone? You know I would never do that! I had to let you go twice, and you went through hell! Now I will accompany you, as will the rest of us! Remember, Ardeth said something about inscriptions. So I will be of very much use, while you men are fighting, don't you think?" She managed a smile, which immediately overwhelmed his barriers of stubbornness and pride. Together, they walked further. The rest of the little team followed, guided by Gordon Cramer, armed with lamps and weapons and nasty feelings about all this.

**=== In the black temple of Apepi ===**

Ani coughed and wiped the dust from his eyes. Slowly, the air around him cleared too, and he could discern his environment. It was a temple, like the ones his father had shown him so far – and yet it was different. Everything here was black, painted or covered with mud from the river. The place did not radiate solemnity and holiness, but torture and eon-old pain, hate and seething hunger for revenge. Ani was frightened. He stumbled through the debris towards the half-ruined staircase of the entrance. Around him, dark incorporeal figures like distorted shadows danced and whispered. The boy tried to push them aside, but they vanished at his touch, only to reappear a second later.

Ani had reached a little platform beneath the hideous sculpture of a half-man-half-snake and looked around. The man who had brought him here was nowhere to see. However, Ani heard the noise of someone crawling out of the wreckage. He had to hurry! He spun around, ran further upwards.

…_Why do you run?... _The voice sounded from everywhere._ …There is no escape. Now you are ours… precious little weapon…_

More and more horrified and angry the boy fought against the elusive schemes, not realizing that exactly those emotions made them only stronger. He cried again for help, hoping with the trust of the child he was, that his father would be near and rescue him.

…_Forget your father! He is weak! He is nothing! He tricked us once, but not a second time! Because now we have you… you… YOU…_

"NO! My Father will come! He won't let me here alone!"

An ugly cracking squeaking sound filled the place, and Ani saw the ground opening and skeletonised figures rose up. The shadows settled down on them and inspirited them with their evil powers. The army of darkness began to form. And the until now lifeless statue of Apepi started to change the same. Its snake scales dazzled and the eyes glowed in an eerie greenish yellow.

Gemar watched the whole scenery like something happening in another life. He stood dust covered on the temple floor, surrounded by the creatures of the living dead and smiled, although he did not want to. He wanted to flee, get as far away as he could. What had he done here? He, a loyal servant of Allah?! What were these demons of the underworld? But he could neither run nor cry. The part of him which was still Gemar the Bedouin leader was firmly enclosed by the vengeful soul of Pharaoh Seti. HE would have his revenge. HE would see Imhotep die, finally, and rule with the help of his own son!

**=== Meanwhile nearby in the mountains ===**

"You are sure this is the right way?" Gordon Cramer asked again, trying to see something in the light cone of his lamp.

"Yes. I'm sure." Imhotep raised his arm in order to explain the characteristic spikes in the rock formation and the way they had to take, but instead fell back exhausted against the nearest stone. The world was swirling in front of his eyes and he had the feeling it would turn even darker. He blinked, fought for self-control.

"Imhotep? You really should rest for a moment." Evie's voice sounded as if she was miles away.

"No… No time…" He pushed himself away from the rock and stared determined into the night, carefully avoiding the gazes of the others.

"You are in no shape to walk or fight!" Evie got angry in her fear for him.

"But I have to! It is the will of the Gods! They won't let me down!"

"Let me at least check your bandage."

Imhotep wanted to protest, but Evelyn had already opened his shirt.

He grimaced, more out of disgust for displaying weakness than actual pain. Ardeth stepped closer, on top of all!

"Use this", the Medjai said and laid a tiny flacon in Evelyn's hand.

"What? Are you trying to poison me? This is not –"

Something like a little sarcastic smile tugged on Ardeth's lips. This man was a plague – even without his curse! He did not understand how anyone could hold out at his side! "The men of my tribe are formidable warriors", he said. "And our women formidable healers! Many of them guard the secrets of the ancient medicine transmitted from mother to daughter since generations. You were a healer yourself, Imhotep. You should recognize it is no poison."

The former High Priest felt ashamed even more. Indeed, this Medjai had spoken the truth… And the ancient remedy brought immediate relief. It cost Imhotep considerable effort to even imagine thanking a Medjai. When he finally opened his mouth, a yellow glow began spreading over the rocks only some meters away and let him forget what he was about to say.

"The breath of Apepi…" he whispered instead.


	11. Chapter 11: At the gates of hell

(I'm back from my great Egypt-tour, and here it is, the next chapter!)

_The gates of hell will open wide  
Welcome to the night - Rising spirits breathe Evil legacy (Holy Hell, song "Gates of Hell")_

**=== The temple of Apepi ===**

The yellow-green, sulphur smelling haze and the sounds of the released creatures of the underworld swept against the mortal intruders, when they walked down the steps into the heart of evil. Imhotep went first. He had cast away most of the hindering modern clothing and the shoes as well. If he had to fight, it was better to feel the ground beneath the feet! Ardeth was only some steps left of him, a scimitar in his hand. Both men stared ahead with a grim determination.

It was a dark temple indeed. Instinctively, Imhotep touched his medallion and murmured a prayer to Osiris. Hearing him speak in the ancient language, Ardeth turned his head – and his expression turned to fright. Imhotep frowned. It weren't his words intriguing the Medjai that way, were they?! _This incredule… _The thought stopped in his mind. Following Ardeth's look, Imhotep discovered what worried him: a long golden spear lying on the ground. He reached out.

"Don't touch it", warned Ardeth. "I saw one of these bas-reliefs on the portal come to life and getting ready to attack. As you spoke the prayer, the demon crumbled into dust. Only this spear remained."

"If it remained, it was the sign of the Gods I prayed for," Imhotep answered after a short hesitation and grabbed the weapon. It felt not cold like metal at all, but like a warm living thing blending comfortably with his hand. _Perfect…_ he thought with a short, nearly boyish smile on his lips. He felt strong suddenly. Either it was the power of Osiris in this weapon or in him – it did not matter. He prayed for a weapon, and he got one. He was full of confidence now. He would win! With the help of his God! This bearing in his mind like a shield, he turned around in Evelyn's direction one last time. He gave her a reassuring smile, too. Then he stormed against the seething hordes of darkness. He heard shots behind him, fired from Gordon Cramer or Rick O Connell, however did not pay attention.

The undead semi-human creatures ran towards him with blind hate. But all of a sudden, as Imhotep stepped closer, they whinced. It was as if they remembered that once he had been the master of the undead, while cursed with the Hom-Dai. The last remains of this darkness now bought him precious time to look for Ani. His son stood encircled by a giant snake. Apepi had reached his full power now. His scales glinted, and his fiery breath hovered through the dark temple. Imhotep called out for Ani, but got no answer. Fear clutched his heart. Was his boy already too far gone, too tightly in the grip of the Dark Ones? He pierced his spear through the rotten chest of one of the attackers, who finally had realized the man in front of him was NOT his master anymore. From the snake like head of the creature came an evil hiss, when he went down and dissolved into dust. Imhotep tried to make his way past new attackers and reach Apepi.

…

Gordon Cramer had rested at Evelyn's side as promised before. "Because you have a wise and rational mind", Imhotep had explained his decision. _Wish my ex-wife could hear that, _Cramer thought wryly now and regarded the chaos around him. _As if rationality would help here! Holy cow! I should write my memoirs! Would either end up in a clinic judged mentally ill or become famous…_

Evelyn's gaze followed her husband while her heart felt as heavy as a stone. _I had to let him go twice… I thought saving his life the first time, and condemned him to the Hom-Dai with my actions… And the next time we were blinded by the Dark Ones and I helped to kill him… _She closed her eyes for a brief moment. She wished so much to be able to do something, to HELP Imhotep. However, she felt as helpless as in the ancient times! Should she have to watch him die again? And this spear he had picked up… was it really the weapon of which the old prophecy spoke? Deep inside, she sensed, this could not be the answer. Not the only one at least. Perhaps something that gave the fighters a little respite to find the real weapon. The weapon to defeat Apepi forever…

Evelyn turned away when Imhotep jumped right across two leering creatures and prodded the spear through another's head. At his side, the blood from the knife wound formed a red spot. He did not seem to feel anything anymore, no pain, and no weakness. But she felt it, as if she was wounded herself. In that moment, Evelyn's eyes caught a set of hieroglyphs beneath the place where the spear had been. "The power to vanquish the old deceiver…" she began to decipher. The rest of the inscription was covered in sand. However, none of the unearthly creatures ventured as far to the entrance, where Cramer and she had taken cover. Therefore, it might be time to dig out the rest and find the answer… Evelyn turned to her companion for help.

…

Imhotep still tried to get Ani's attention, but the boy did not react. Had he lost him? No, this COULD not be! Not Ani, not his first born son! The Gods could not allow that! He evaded the flames spit by the angry Apepi and found himself face to face with Gemar… or rather the exterior shell of the Bedouin leader, through which shone Seti's mind and hate. He had thrown away his gown as well. Eons had passed, but the scene mirrored the events in the ancient times. With the exception that it was Seti who had the blade ready to strike the final blow, not the Highpriest.

"Now you die!" The old soul of the pharaoh cried. His eyes had a red glow similar to the one of Apepi. "I waited centuries to let you feel the moment of death and enjoy seeing you walk into hell right in front of my eyes!" He stroke down, but Imhotep moved aside fast and his enemy missed him.

"Your son Ramses buried me under the Hom-Dai!" he retorted. "I have suffered enough for ten deaths, believe me!"

"And you'll do it again, traitor!" Another blow.

Imhotep blocked it with the spear and was on his feet again the next second. "I'm not a traitor!"

"You were after my crow from the beginning!" Seti shouted. "Since you first put your foot in my palace, treacherous bastard! I should've never allowed you to take the honors of your father!" The sword scratched the skin on Imhotep's right leg, but he managed to wound his opponent as well.

"This will get you nowhere! You are lost either way! You are the sacrifice for Apepi's pleasure, Imhotep!" Behind Gemar-Seti, a bunch of hideous creatures congregated, ready to tear Imhotep apart in their claws.

"I was not after your crown! Not even your life! You are a prey of the Dark Ones yourself! They use you as they did with Ramses! You are their tool!" he shouted back, but was cornered more and more. He couldn't discern Ani anymore. But he couldn't call him for help anyway. Of course, his son would do everything to rescue him. And this would finally throw him into the abyss of the Dark Ones, undeliverable forever!

"You are a lying rat! You betrayed your God and ME!"

"All I cared about was Ancksunamun! You treated her like a vile slave!" Yes, Imhotep had waited for eons, too, to spit this in the pharaoh's face.

"She was a slave! MY slave!" Seti's voice became an inhuman snarl while he approached together with the creatures surrounding him.

…

Meanwhile, Rick O'Connell stood near one of the pillars and was about emptying an ammo pack on the gigantic monster trampling in his direction. The beast looked like the mixture of a hippo and a crocodile and had the size of an elephant. Moreover, it rested absolutely unimpressed by the bullets fired on him. "Shit!" Rick threw his empty gun against the head of the monster and jumped to safety over some debris the very next second. There he grabbed his elephant-gun and loaded. There had to be a way to bring this thing down!!! Even magically reanimated mummies could be smashed, if you tried hard enough, he remembered his past experiences. He fired; till the beast nearly had reached him and he saw its yellow teeth and the drool dripping down. Shouting some violent curses, Rick set his last shot right between the monster's eyes. Finally, it went down. Rick cried triumphantly like an Indian on his warpath, and then ran upwards where Gemar-Seti and Imhotep fought. Not to help the Highpriest, but more to get a hold on the man on whose orders his comrade Giulio had been killed. For a damned bracelet! In attacking Gemar from behind, Rick accidentally saved Imhotep's life. However, he did not finish the enemy, because in a whirlwind of dust and fire, another squadron of Apepi's armies swept against him.

…

"You should not go too far inside", Gordon Cramer warned Evelyn. He was no coward, but it would be of no use, if she and he got sucked into the mess below as well. Someone had to be able to go back to McClellan, to the plane, and organize help. He was a police officer, not a hero… and right now it seemed as if they had to run for their life very soon… Very close to him Ardeth fought, being pushed back against a wall by his enemies. Having killed them with his scimitar, the Medjai stormed against the Snake-God. _The demon looks more and more powerful, with every little victory against his creatures…_ Cramer mused uneasily. He tried to calculate his odds and then the slight possibility he might just stuck in an evil nightmare and wake up every second. He would never complain about boredom in Luxor village again!

Evelyn studied the hieroglyphs anxiously. Some parts were missing due to broken rock. She hoped it would not be the essential part! _The power to bring down the birth-bringer of evil.. what could bring down evil itself?!_ The unborn child in her moved. Did it know the answer? In the ancient times, it was believed the unborn were still linked to the gods and thus knew things hidden to the born ones… _What could bring down the evil itself?_ Evelyn tried to decipher the worn out signs near the bottom. They told about the coming to life of Apepi. The God Ptah had created the earth out of the dark and silence, but there were forces not willing to leave the darkness and the chaos….

…

Imhotep and Ardeth attacked Apepi from different sides, but with combined force. However, their weapons and their skills were useless, nothing more than needles trying to scratch a stone. Ardeth's scimitar shattered into pieces, and only a fast move spared the Medjai's life. A fast move and – Imhotep's reckless attack from the front. Among the smoke, fire and dust that filled the temple, the Medjai thought to see a tiny smile on Imhotep's lips. A spark of understanding between the two men or only the priest's satisfaction having distracted Apepi successfully? It was no time to ponder about this!

Imhotep got eye-contact with Ani. Finally! But it was a look too long, too intense. He didn't see Gemar-Seti closing in again from behind, he only sensed his enemy, when the sharpness of his blade cut through the muscles of his back. Imhotep fell, hearing the frightened cry of Evelyn and the angry one of Ani, blending with the snake's hungry hiss. He tried to get up and reach his weapon again. It rained lightning all around him now. Apepi's hiss became a roar. The world turned darker yet, and from the darkness sounded the chatter of royal scarabs and then… Gemar-Seti's fearful shrieks. After that, the snake god was attacked himself.

Cracks opened in the floor, deep and glowing red. The undead creatures seemed to grow again and gain strength, while the bodiless shadows bounded with them. "Ani! Don't use your powers!" Imhotep wanted to command his son. "Don't do it whatever will happen!" The call rested a miserable whisper, not to hear at all! Would he die now? Loose Ani to the Dark Ones? Loose Evelyn and their other precious child? No… NO! This would NOT happen!!! He could not leave her alone! Near the claws of the winding Apepi who attempted to crush Ani, but could not anymore because he was too strong, Imhotep got on his feet again. Half of his body felt numb and blood ran down his legs. Only one thought had still room in him. Ani had to stop his fury! Nothing else mattered, Imhotep ordered himself with clenched teeth and struggled forward. The spear was in his hands again. He could see nearly nothing because of the darkness now. Not Ardeth nor O'Connell. Were they dead? But he had to reach Ani, make him stop! The names of his gods on his lips, Imhotep stepped further in the direction of Apepi's glowing eyes. The snake god could not kill him, even if he was an easy prey now. Apepi had found his master. Until the Dark Ones were strong enough on their own for letting Ani fall into the red glowing abyss! A useless tool…

…

_What was the weapon that could conquer the primeval chaos? What could bind Apepi again? Think, Evie, think! _Her father had said so quite often to instigate her to find out something. But then, she sat in front of her books – not in a dark temple which was on the brink of becoming pitch black, and the life of her family at stake! _Think, think! _Darkness. Chaos. Death. Pain. Evil. The God created the world in opposition to these things. In opposition to the Dark Ones. What was the opposite?! LIGHT! First of all! Evelyn turned to Gordon Cramer and took the flashlight from his hand. Before he could say anything, she stepped down, carefully, now both lights in her hand like swords.

The opposite of chaos? PEACE. CALM. Desperately, she tried to calm down and bring peace in her mind despite her fear. Actually, the creatures in front of her backed off slowly. What else? Light. Peace. Life! LOVE! Exactly! That was, what her unborn child wanted to tell her, she was certain. So, if Apepi was the death, she bore life, light and peace to destroy him! Everything condensed in love, her love for Imhotep and their children. She would overcome Apepi and the Dark Ones with love!

…

"Ani…" A weak breeze, nothing more. Imhotep forced his body to function. Because he failed to raise his voice, he shouted in his mind "Stop it, stop it!" again and again. "My son, listen to me! Blood of my heart, Ani, stop it!"

All of a sudden, a hand grabbed out of the darkness and pushed him down. A moment later, Imhotep looked again in Gemar-Seti's face. He had escaped the scarabs, because they had been burned by Apepi's breath. He was wounded, though, but hate let him feel no pain. He raised a dagger and grinned evilly.

…

Love. Evelyn walked further. She had nearly reached the center of the temple. This was, when she saw Gemar-Seti and Imhotep fighting. When she saw Imhotep sink down, the dagger piercing through his chest. Incredulity was painted all over his face. His God left him to die, after all, and abandoned him…?

Evelyn could not cry. She just stood there like frozen. The world seemed to have stopped abruptly….

But Osiris was not shrouded in silence. _… Trust…._ Evelyn heard spoken in her mind, and she felt like pulled forward through a shining white light. _….Trust me, Ancksunamun, as you did before…. _She strode on like in trance. She did not realize the shot of O'Connell bringing Gemar down, nor the fact that the creatures around her dissolved completely. And that the frightening Snake-God was shrinking until it was not more than a small viper disappearing between the stones.

…_Trust…_

The rifts in the floor started to close again, the smoke began to settle down.

…_Trust…_

Evelyn kneeled down besides Imhotep. She did not sense Ardeth's hand on her shoulder, she did not hear Cramer's worried questions. She placed her hands on the lifeless chest of her beloved.

…_Trust…_

"How far?!" She wanted to cry out, but was not able to do so. Then… a third hand, with tiny fingers, was placed in between hers. Evelyn raised her head and discovered Ani. He looked like any 8-year-old tired child. Tears had left broad streams on his dirty face.

"Dad…?" he murmured shaky, and more tears poured down. "You cannot be gone, wake up!" Without realizing it consciously, the boy switched to the ancient language. "Wake up! Wake up!"

Suddenly, thin flashes emanated from the boy's fingers, soon covering the whole body of his father like a cocoon. Then they disappeared again. And Evelyn watched the wound from Gemar's dagger becoming smaller and smaller within instants and finally vanishing completely as if it had never been there. A single breath lifted Imhoteps chest, then another deep one, and he opened his eyes. "Osiris… spoke to me…" he whispered. He reached out and touched Ani. "The Dark Ones are confined to their prison forever… Every trace of the curse has been wiped out… Ani is free, because he has given all his powers to bring me back to life…"

"I know. Osiris spoke to me as well."

Imhotep leaned back against Evelyn and felt his own tears flow over her hands, which caressed his face.

---

(One little chappie is still coming)


	12. Chapter 12: Forgiveness

(Last chapter… gonna miss my characters…)

**=== In the temple of Apepi / Somewhat later ===**

The ruins of the black temple of Apepi now looked like very similar ruin in Egypt. Even the sinister aura was gone. The bas-reliefs on the walls were nothing more than bas-reliefs. The magical power of the spells was exhausted. On the remains in the main hall sat four people. A child slept nearby on a jacket for a blanket and on one stone a dead man lay stretched…

"I can give him the proper rites, so his soul may travel safely to the afterlife this time", Imhotep said, turning away from Gemar's corpse. "I am the High Priest of Osiris, after all, even if I have no assistants, no temple and no believers in this world anymore. Seti'soul has suffered as much as mine, tortured by rebirths as I was from the eternal agony. I will guide him this time. It shall be peace."

"You are sure about this?" Evelyn had still not forgotten how this very soul embodied in the Pharaoh then, had mistreated her and made her life a hell!

"I am sure", he replied. "I have to obey the will of the Gods. They are wise. They let our paths cross to our doom and now again to our salvation…" Thoughtfully, Imhotep wandered araound through the temple. Despite nearly nine years in this era, this world was that strange to him sometimes, and he longed for the ancient one. A world where there was belief in the Gods and their powers…

"I only need some instruments and embalmment spices", he took up his speech again. "I can perform the procedure here; no one will look here, and bury him here."

"Should be possible to manage", Commissioner Cramer meant. After all he had seen today, this should be a minor issue, indeed! Just a little bakshish here and there, a falsified report… Yes, it would be relatively easy to cover up the events, this temple and some strange rites going on. Especially, when the government was that busy with things like an upcoming world war, radical Muslim brotherhoods and so on. He nodded and repeated: "Yes, I think it can be done."

Imhotep bowed his head in recognition and continued his walk through the ruins. High Priest of Osiris. His mind travelled back in time again, and somehow rested the day where he had been guided to the temple's archives for the first time. To learn the will of the Gods, their magnificent deeds, to learn to heal and to guide… His path had taken a quite different turn… From a healer to the Bringer of Death…

But it was not too late to live his true profession, even if he was 'exiled' in this time! On the contrary! This time seemed in need for it that much! His glance wandered like his mind, over the remains of the past. So much had to be restored, rebuilt, repaired and healed… So many stones uncovered from the dirt of the centuries… wisdom translated… His hands touched the withered wall and he knew exactly what he would do. Certainly not going back to Cairo and endure the negligence or insults of some museum's clerks, while waiting for minor tasks! The work waiting for him and Evie was in the ground of his ancient temple at Karnak: the archives!

…

Rick O'Connell sat aside, ponderin about life and absently turning the bracelet in his hands. He had revenged the murdr of his comrade Giulio, but it was a hollow accomplishment. Nothing could bring the little Italian back to life. No magic, which apparently worked all too well with this High Priest's bunch! Destiny was not fair! Rick sighed. He had to realize that he would never win Evelyn back. And everything he'd attempt to change the situation would only result in loosing her friendship, too. She had asked him to stay until her child was born and act as godfather. But he knew he would not do it, no way! What then? He dd not want to go back to the Legion either. It was a life too tight up; he needed some space of his own. Freedom. To think about what to do with his life. The sorrowless boyhood times were definitely over! He weighed the bracelet in his hand again, thought shortly about selling it, however dismissed the subject. There was too much blood on it! He threw it far away into the darkness. Somewhere inside the temple it shattered. And so did the past ten years of Rick O'Connell's life.

**=== Village of Luxor / 5 days later ===**

Gordon Cramer walked through the lounge of the small hotel with badly concealed apprehension. _Holy cow!_ He scolded himself. _Why are you that nervous? It isn't your child which should be delivered upstairs, man!_ Nevertheless, he was. And he envied this Medjai sitting there on the porch and being all collected tranquility!

Ardeth had stayed because some issues had to be solved with the rest of the late Gemar's men. Some of them had asked for admission into the Medjai's tribe. Others wanted to go back to their own families, but were afraid of repressions. Next to Ardeth Ani was listening to the stories the Medjai told him for distraction. Some minutes ago, the boy admitted Ardeth to be nearly as good a storyteller as his father – certainly the summit of honor! The Medjai had smiled silently and thought again about taking a wife and raising some curious, bright-eyed children… The ancient prophecies were fulfilled, the evil banned, the curses terminated. He would have time for life now…

Upstairs, Evelyn struggled to bring her child into the world's light. Like eight years before in Ani's case, she had chosen to give birth at home. She trusted Imhotep's healer's skills more than the modern hospitals. Concerning all things around pregnancy and birth, Ancksunamun's ancient soul had won predominance in her long ago.

So she crouched on the arranged bricks, a clean cloth beneath, and held upright by Imhotep, who stood in front of her. He had administered the old remedies to ease the pain and now whispered the necessary prayers to the Godesses Hathor and Taueret.

"Have strength, my love", he continued, still in the ancient language, holding her firmly when she cried out in pain. "Soon it will be all over…"

However, Evie had the impression not to be strong enough this time. She felt that weak and it was that hot in the room! "Can't do it!" she wanted to protest irrationally. Another pain squeezed and pierced her and she clutched her fingers around Imhotep's arm. Would it ever end, she wondered. Ani's birth had been much smoother! _But well, I was younger then… _she tried to mobilize her last humor in the short cease-attack of pain.

"Push! It's nearly done!"

The command sounded far away. Evie knew she was about fainting, when the cool water touched her face. Imhotep looked worried, she could discern it, even if he tried to hide it. No, she couldn't disappoint him… she must not fail! With her very last effort she pushed, drew breath… again and again… Everything else dissolved into blur.

When she regained consciousness several minutes later, she lay on the bed. Her tired eyes discovered the tiny and in her opinion heavenly beautiful baby besides her. The little one cried and fought vigorously against the sheets which Imhotep tried to wrap around him....

"The Gods have given us another son!" Evelyn whispered in awe and joy together. Such a grace!

"Not only." Imhotep turned around and when he came back to her, he carried another small wrapped package in his arms. "This is our daughter." Gently, he put the baby at her other side.

_Twins? No wonder it was that difficult this time…_But now, this was all forgotten! "Like Isis and Osiris", she said and smiled.

"Yes", Imhotep answered. "And we will raise them in their honor."

It was the ultimate sign the Gods of Egypt had forgiven them.


End file.
